


True Loves Kiss

by AnnitaArtiste39



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mulan (1998) Fusion, Cinderella Elements, Depression, Disney Brave, Disney Enchanted Elements, Disney Musical AU, Disney Princesses - Freeform, Disney Songs, F/M, Little Mermaid Elements, Marinette is a Princess (Kinda), Rapunzel Elements, Sleeping Beauty - Freeform, Snow White - Freeform, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, kitty's okay, musical AU, nobody dies DONT WORRY, poor Adrien just wants to be loved, she saved him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:30:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 95,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7598188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnitaArtiste39/pseuds/AnnitaArtiste39
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette and Chat Noir have been friends for a few years now, so when Marinette is cast as the lead in a school play, Chat is more than happy to help her practice her lines, but when an Akuma attacks and Mari falls victim, will Chat be able to save  his friend? And where did Ladybug run off to? She should have been charged up and back by now...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was around 9pm. Marinette had decided to sit on her balcony and look over the little book her Drama Teacher had given her at the end of class. The moon was large and bright tonight, providing just enough light (when combined with the city lights from below) for her to see without hurting her eyes. Then suddenly her light disappeared, after straining to see, she looked up to find the leather-clad super hero of Paris, sitting on her banister... 'right on time' she mentally noted  
“Hello Princess, whatchya reading?”  
“Oh, hey Chat. Our school is putting on a play for Parents Day, so I’m just looking over the script”  
“Sounds cool… which play?”  
“Snow White and The Seven Dwarves”  
“Ah… so does my Princess get to play the lead of THE Princess?”  
“… Your Princess?” Chat smiled that corny grin that made Marinette want to both cringe and giggle at the same time. *sigh* “no… they haven’t handed out parts yet, just the scripts”  
“Are you going to try out?”  
“I… I don’t know… maybe… we’ll see…”  
“You should totally try out, you already look it… hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood..”  
“Chat Noir, are you checking me out?” She asked with a smirk.  
“Wh-WHAT?! NO! You know I only have eyes for My Lady, no, I was just quoting the basic characteristics of Snow White, I mean, yeah your pretty, and all, it’s just…” he was cut off by her giggling, which caused the deep blush on his face to dissipate, leaving behind an amused smirk “ha ha, very funny”  
“I’m sorry, you just look so cute when you’re blushing” she giggled out  
“Oh? Who’s checking out who now, huh?” She lightly punched his his shoulder “Ow”  
“Oh stop it you big baby, that didn’t hurt… as for the play… I don’t know, I mean, I love the movie, growing up it was one of my favorites, I’d go around singing the songs, or at least try to… I was little, so I couldn’t always pronounce all of the words properly”  
“Really now?”  
“Yeah, actually, the only song I actually knew was the Wishing Well song” she giggled “I don’t know how he did it, but whenever I’d get to the male role, my dad would pop up out of nowhere, get down on one knee and sing to me… it didn’t matter where we were, he would stop what he was doing and make sure my Prince always answered. And when my mom was around…” more giggles “she would be the echo in the well, promising that my dream would come true”  
“Wow, you sound like you have a really nice family Princess” his eyes and smiled softened at the girl in front of him  
“Yeah, they really are…”  
“So, you like to sing huh? Think you could bring out woodland creatures to your balcony Princess?”  
“…No Chat, I’m not singing”  
“Aw, common Princess… please?” Cue kitten eyes  
“Nope, nu-uh, no way, no how, not happening…”  
“All Princesses do it…”  
“And all THOSE Princesses live in the forest… i live in the City.”  
“Gisselle was in the City”  
“And all she attracted was pigeons, rats and bugs… I don’t think so”  
“I’m not gonna stop until you do” he sing-song teased  
“Then your gonna stay here till you transform” she sang back. He sat back on her banister  
“Your no fun…” he pouted with crossed arms. She giggled again  
“To be honest, I actually haven’t sang since I was little, I don’t even know if I know all the words anymore.” They sat there in silence for a few minutes, staring out at the beautiful Parisian view. “*sigh* honestly, I just hope Chloe doesn’t get the lead, she’d just rub it in everyone’s face, especially my own” Chat laughed  
“Yeah, I can see that, although to be honest, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her, she’d probably be better as the wicked Queen” Marinette laughed  
“You’ve met her like, what, 3 times?”  
“Hey, you don’t know my alter-ego”  
“Don’t have to…”  
“For all you know we could be best friends” Chat internally cringed at the very thought  
“Hardly, the only friend Chloe actually has, is Sabrina, well… that and Adrien” she sighed, which caught the cats attention  
“Adrien?”  
“Yeah, Adrien… fortunately he’s not in Drama class, he’d make a perfect Prince” Chat choked on air  
“Wh-what?”  
“What?” Marinette looked into his shock filled eyes  
“That model boy, right? I mean, sure he’s handsome but..”  
“Are you kidding? He’s gorgeous!” She turned to stare out on her city as she sighed  
“Ye-yeah but… I thought… I thought you didn’t like him” she whipped her head back around  
“What?! Why wouldn’t I like him?”  
“Well its just… you never talk to him, you stutter around him, you…”  
“Wait, how do you know that? Do… DO YOU GO TO MY SCHOOL?!”  
“… I plead the 5th” Marinette blinked dumbfoundedly, then burst into laughter  
“Chat… that’s America… we’re in Paris” chat turned his head to hide his blush  
“You know what I mean” he mumbled  
“Well, even if you do go to my school… yes, I like him… a lot…” he peeked at her from the corner of his eye and saw her brush a strand of her hair out of her blush covered face “it’s like you said… I stutter around him because I can barely think around him… I don’t talk to him because, well, I stutter, and blabber, and am so afraid of embarrassing myself in front of him… see… Chat, what’s wrong?” He was staring at her, mouth agap, completely shell-shocked  
“N-nothing… wow… i… I had no idea…” he stared at her for a moment longer before he cleared his throat “well, I, I should probably be heading home now… thanks for the talk, and… try for the lead… I still stand by my previous statement… you’d make a purrfect Princess”  
“Chat, leave now before I get the spray bottle” Chat raised his hands in surrender  
“Alright, alright, no need to get fiesty. See ya Princess” then he jumped from roof to roof through the Parisian city.

Marinette snuck back into her room, and crawled into bed  
“You know” the little Kawami began as she floated up to her charges face “I have to agree with Chat… you would make a pretty good Snow White” Marinette groaned  
“I don’t know Tikki, there are plenty of others more qualified, and probably better actors then me…”  
“Marinette, you can do anything you set your mind on… you’re strong, and talented, pretty, and good… don’t ever doubt yourself for a minute, got it?”  
“Yeah Tikki, I got it” she yawned “it’s 3am, we’ll deal with it tomorrow, goodnight Tikki”  
“Goodnight Marinette”


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey girl, ready for Drama class?”  
“As ready as I’ll ever be Alya” the two walked through the school hall together.  
“So, are you gonna try out for Snow White?”  
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”  
“Oh, common girl, you’d be perfect! Black hair, white skin, red lips”  
“My lips are pink”  
“That’s why there’s lipstick, common girl, you should totally try out, besides… I’ve heard you sing, you’re really good”  
“Alya, there’s no singing in this play”  
“Doesn’t matter.” Alya crossed her arms triumphantly, then she grab her friends hand and dragged her into the classroom “common”

“Okay, and that about wraps up try outs, results will be posted tomor-” suddenly the teacher was interrupted by the door flying open  
“Sorry we’re late, are try outs still on?” Everyone turned to see Adrien and Nino standing in the open doorway  
“ADRIKINS!!” Chloe shrieked as she waved from her seat  
“Well,” the teacher began, “they actually just ended, but if you boys are up to it, I can let you two stay over to try out. Everyone else, however, please make your way to your next class. As I was saying, results will be posted tomorrow. Have a great day everyone”

The next day everyone gathered in front of the billboard to see their roles  
“Ha! I got the part of the Queen”  
“And…. your happy about that?” Mari asked  
“Uh, of Course!” Chloe spat back out “Snow White is just too much of a goody-two-shoes, and besides… you couldn’t pay me a thousand bucks to do actual chores. Not to mention, I get to look at my beautiful face the entire time… and besides, everyone knows that the REAL villain is Snow, she told Regina’s mother about her love and then her mother killed him in front of her, causing her to become Evil in the first place. And even still, Rumplestilskin's the one who taught her how to be evil” Everyone just stared at her “what? Have NONE of you guys ever seen Once Upon A Time? Ugh, whatever, common Sabrina” everyone watched the two leave, then they turned back to the list  
“Well, what part did you get?” Mari asked her BFF  
“Well me, I’m a fox, you however…” Alya bit her bottom lip excitedly “you’re Snow White” the two cheered and laughed as they jumped in the air in unison, then Mari felt a masculine hand on her shoulder from behind  
“Hey Marinette” Mari spun around to face  
“A-ADRIEN!”  
“I just wanted to congratulate you on getting the lead role”  
“Uh, thanks, I like your role too, no no, I mean, your role likes me first, no wait, what I mean is…” Alya placed her hand on Mari’s shoulder  
“Thanks Adrien, that means alot, so what role did you get?” Alya interpreted, Mari shot her a ‘thank you’ look  
“Me? I got the huntsman”  
“And, your happy about that?”  
“Are you kidding? I get to wear a beard!” Adrien chanted “don’t you think that’d be totally awesome on me?” He posed like he was thinking causing both girls to break into giggle fits  
“Hey Nino, what role did you get?” Alya asked over Adrien’s shoulder  
“ Narrator man, I get the most lines out of everyone, why did we try out for this again?" Nino asked  
"Because" Adrien began, rubbing the back of his neck (trying to come up with an excuse) "acting is fun?" Nino rolled his eyes, then looked back to the girls  
" So, what part did you dudes get?”  
“I’m playing a fox, Adrien’s the huntsman, and Mari here gets lead role” Alya playfully pulled said girl into a side hug  
“Alya”  
“Really? Awesome dudes” just then the bell rang for the next class.

“So Princess, did you get the part?” Marinette spun around to find the leather-clad cat hero sitting on her banister  
“Chat? What are you doing here?” she playfully teased. Honestly, he'd been coming over to her house every night for almost two years straight, even during holidays. At first she was afraid that maybe he knew her secret, but after the first few visits, she lost her anxiety over the issue, as it was plain to see, the boy had NO idea that he was currently talking to the other half of the Parisian Hero-duo.  
“I had to know… does my beautiful Princess get to be the fairest of them all?” She rolled her eyes.  
“First off, I’m not your Princess, second… yes, as a matter of fact, I do” she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. Chat smiled  
“Knew you could do it” Suddenly her cheeks felt very warm  
“Yeah well, I need to get practicing, so, bye kitty” she said ad she started pushing him to the edge  
“What? But I just got here” he pouted  
“And now you’re leaving” she teased as she grabbed his baton and placed it in his hands “ta-ta kitty” she waved as she went back to her skylight window of her room  
“But-”  
“Don’t you have Patrol with Ladybug tonight?” She asked over her shoulder. Chat stilled for a moment before breaking out into a giant grin  
“That’s very true. Don’t want to keep my Lady waiting. Fare thee well, good Princess, until the next morrow we meet” he bowed. She burst into a fit of laughter “what?”  
“Oh my gosh Chat… what the heck was that?!” She asked between giggles  
“What? You don’t like my medieval vocabulary?” He asked with a smirk  
“I didn’t even realize you knew the word 'vocabulary’” she teased back  
“*gha* rude” he pouted as he crossed his arms, making Mari giggle again  
“Go on Chat, you’re gonna be late if you don’t leave soon” Chat raised a finger to protest, then stopped  
“That’s true… see ya around Mari” then he jumped onto her neighbors roof and started making his way to the meeting place. Mari waited until he was clean out of site before going back inside, finding Tikki sitting with a plate of cookies, and stated  
“TIKKI, SPOTS ON!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments... Comment please...


	3. Chapter 3

The next day-  
They had just finished up their first practice and were heading out to get some ice cream when Mari suddenly remembered she'd forgot her purse and had to run back and grab it.  
“Man, dudes, they expect me to know all these lines in just one month?!” Nino asked as he fell backwards onto the schools steps  
“Aw, common Nino, it’s not that bad” Alya stated as she playfully nudged the moping boy  
“Says the girl that all she has to do is prance and dance as a fox… remind me again, why did we sign up for this Adrien?”  
Said boy scratched the back of his neck nervously “I-i told you Nino… it’s fun” Nino rolled his eyes  
“Uh huh, and the real reason is…” just then Mari came back through the doors  
“I’ll explain everything later” Adrien whispered to Nino as the girl drew closer   
“So, are we ready to go?” Marinette asked as she walked up to the group  
“Hey Marinette” Adrien rushed to stand up  
“A-ADRIEN!” she stumbled backwards   
“MARINETTE!” he quickly reached out to catch her from falling backwards, resulting in what would look like a dance dip. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you… are you okay?… Mari?” Her face was as red as a tomato   
“Um.. uh, i-uh…. th-that is, I uh…” just then they heard the sound of a camera phone go off, bringing Marinette back to reality “*gulp* um, A-Adrien, can-c-can I stand up now?”  
“Sorry!” Adrien raced to stand the girl back up and take a step back, taking note of both Alya and Nino standing together, giggling and smirking at Alya’s phone. “I uh, just didn’t want you to get hurt, are you okay?”  
“Ye-yeah, sure I-I’m okay”  
“That’s good. So, anyway, would you like to go over our lines at the ice cream parlor, Mari?”  
“Wha- oh, yeah, sounds great” Mari smiled from ear to ear   
“Great!” Adrien smiled back as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Just then they heard a car horn. The two turned to see Nathalie getting out of the passenger seat  
“Adrien, one of the models had to go home due to being ill, your father has volunteered you to take his place. Come now, the photographer's waiting.” Adrien sighed and turned back to Mari with a sad smile  
“well, it looks like we’ll have to reschedule, sorry about that” Mari’s grin fell, then she gently smiled  
“It’s okay Adrien, maybe we can meet up later”  
“Sure, sounds great… well, see ya” then he turned and sadly walked over to waiting car.  
Alya and Nino walked over to Marinette as Nino just finished putting his phone in his pocket from a text “Man, what a buzz kill. Dude ain’t had sweets in a month, heck, ice cream was his idea”  
“You okay girl?” Alya asked as she wrapped an arm around her friend. Mari dropped her head  
“I just feel so bad for him you know? He spends so much time working, he never got to be a kid…”  
“Tell me about it dude” Nino began, scratching the back of his neck “he’d never even had a birthday party before last year”  
“Common you two… let’s go get that ice cream” Alya added as she drug the two away.

N- Sup dude, how was “work”?  
A- same old, same old. How was the ice cream parlor?   
N- sweet :P lol  
A- haha, very funny   
N- Nah man, it was cool. We pretty much just ate and went over the scripts. Lol, you should have seen Alya, she did every other voice involved for us since she didn’t have any lines… it was hysterical   
A- well I’m glad you guys had a great time   
N- don’t be like that man, it would have been, like, 1,000,000 times better with you there  
A- thanks Nino, maybe next time   
N- yeah, sure, so… are you gonna tell me the REAL reason we join this class?  
A- what do you mean?  
D- dude, common, just admit it… your doing this because of Mari, right? ;)  
A- WHAT?! NO! Well, I mean, yeah, she’s the one who told me about it, and I’d really like to be her friend, but, that’s it. I guess I kinda figured, maybe we could become friends through this, I guess, I just wanted to get closer to her  
N- Riiiight ;) I see where this is going dude ;)  
A- IT’S NOT LIKE THAT OKAY?!  
N- Sure dude, whatever ever you say XD lol don’t worry dude, of course I’ll be your best man ;)  
A- oh my gosh, it is not like that nor will it ever be, she’s just a friend Nino  
N- DENIAL!!!  
A- … I’m hanging up, I need to go over my script   
N- dude, you can’t hang up, we’re texting   
A- bye  
N- dude  
N- dude  
N- dude!!!!

“Adrien, are you gonna answer him back? That things been going off for the last 10 minutes” Plagg whined  
“Shh, Plagg, I’m reading”  
“… you do realize that you’ve been on the first page for just as long… AND IT’S NOT EVEN YOUR PART!”  
“Well maybe I could concentrate if some people stopped interrupting me” Adrien huffed  
“*scoff* ruude”  
“Sorry Plagg. I just… *sigh maybe I just need to clear my head” Adrien stood  
“Wait, what do you-”  
“PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!” Shortly later, Chat Noir was seen jumping on rooftops through the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment... Comment... Comment Please :D


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette had just sat down on her balcony. Tikki was snug in bed after the hour long solo patrol, so Mari decided to take her studying outside. It was about 11pm when suddenly the City lights were blocked. Mari looked up to none other than…  
“Hey Chat, what are you doing here? Didn’t Ladybug already do patrol?”  
“Well… yeah… I just... needed to clear my mind, ya know?” She giggled  
“Yeah, I know”  
“*So, whatchya got there?” He smirked. She lifter the book to show him the cover  
“Practicing my script” she smiled. Chat’s ears perked up  
“Oh, well then, maybe I could help you” he grinned  
“You? Help me?” He held out his hand  
“Just give me the book Princess” she obliged and handed him the book. He flicked through the pages and cleared his throat “my beautiful Princess, I’m sorry, I cannot comply with the thoughts of the wicked queen. For she has told me to take your life, but alas, how could I possibly kill the most beautiful creature in the world? Look here, i shall take the heart of a beast to the queen, you however, my fair Princess, flee, run into the forest, for i would rather suffer her wrath a hundred times, than to have harm come to a single hair on your head.” Marinette giggled  
“Are you trying to impress me or something?”  
“What gave me away?” He asked with a smirk  
“That is not what it says”  
“So I improvised… doesn’t the beautiful princess have a reply?” She rolled her eyes as he handed her the book  
“Thank you good man, I will forever be thankful for what you’ve done.” Chat started to slow-clap “what?”  
“That was beautiful Princess”  
“It was just one line”  
“Ah, but you said it so well” he grinned  
“Yeah, well… your part is done now, so… see ya”  
“What? You’re kicking me out?” She giggled  
“I can go over the rest myself, thank you."she winked  
"But what about the other guy parts, like the dwarves, or the Prince?”  
“The Prince doesn’t have any lines silly cat, and as for the dwarves, I’d say your best bet…” she thought for a minute “Dopey”  
“*scoff* rude” Chat pouted with his arms crossed. Mari giggled at the site.  
“Go on kitty, I need to be heading to bed soon anyway” Chat sighed  
“Alright, fine. Don’t want you to be running late to class again”  
“Annnd, you pretty much just confirmed that you DO go to my school” she smirked  
“Huh?”  
“How else could you know that I’m always late to class since I’ve never told you?” She winked. He blushed  
“Eh, cats out of the bag I guess… curious?” He smirked  
“Hardly, although if you start cracking those ridiculous puns in civilian form… I may just have to call Ladybug and tell her you’re compromising your alter-ego” he thought for a minute  
“If I’d mean I get to see My Lady as a civilian… I may just take you up on that offer Princess” he winked  
“You’re unbelievable” she teased “and I was being serious, it’s already 3am, I need to go to bed… so do you if you really do go to my school… no need for both of us to run late tomorrow. Night Kitty.”  
“Eh, I still need to finish my paw-trol, don’t worry about me, I’ve got plenty of excuses up my sleeves. Good night Princess, pleasant dreams.”

The next day Mari had actually beat the clock and was actually early for class. “Wow Mari, you’re here before me? Is the sky falling? Where are those flying pigs?”  
“Haha, very funny Alya. Actually, I think my body’s just getting use to late hours and early mornings.” Alya frowned  
“Girl, that’s not exactly a good thing… what time did you get to bed?”  
“I was going over the script till about… maybe, 3 in the morning?” Alya face-palmed  
“Girl, you know you need more sleep than that”  
“I know, I just kinda woke up on my own this morning, ya know?”  
“Mmhm, sure. You sure it had nothing to do with-”  
“Sup dudettes” both girls turned to see Nino just taking his seat  
“Oh, hey Nino… where’s Adrien?” Alya asked with a smirk when she noticed her BFF looking frantically around the room. Both Nino and Alya smirked to hide their giggles  
“Sorry, dude's not here yet. I tried waiting for him, but he never showed.” Just then the teacher came in and started writing on the board. Mari slumped back in her seat with a pout as her two friends watched with sympathetic smiles.  
Just as the bell rang, Adrien Agreste came rushing into the classroom  
“Made it” he huffed as he sat in his seat beside Nino.  
“Dude, what took ya?”  
“Sorry… I had a late photo shoot, and didn’t get home till about 4 in the morning. I uh, kinda slept in, sorry” Adrien explained, scratching the back of his neck  
“No problem dude, just glad you made it.”  
“Did you hear that?” Mari whispered as she nudged her friend  
“What?”  
“Adrien and I went to bed around the same time… *sigh* we have so much in common” Alya simply rolled her eyes before the teacher began to speak, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Hey Mari”  
“A-ADRIEN!!”  
“So… I was wondering… would the fairest of them all, like to go over our lines during lunch break?” Mari blinked dumbfoundedly  
‘Did… did he just call me FAIR? A-as in… BEAUTIFUL? Oh my GOSH!!!Wait… he said something…’ “Oh, um… y-yeah, sure, founds sun, I-i mean, fun sounds, nonono, I mean… *sigh* sounds fun.”  
“Great, I’ll see you th- *OOF!*”  
“ADRIKENS!!!!” Chloe suddenly attacked from behind  
“Chloe?”  
“Common Adrikens, let the babies practice together, WE have the first scene, so WE should practice first”  
“Chloe… I already asked Nino, Alya and Marinette to practice with me… we can practice together later, okay?” Chloe jumped off of the boy  
“*scoff* fine. You can come over to my place after school, okay?”  
“Yeah, yeah, sure, sounds great, can’t wait” apparently Chloe didn’t catch on to his sarcasm  
“GREAT! See you then Adrikens!” Then she blew him a kiss as she walked away. He shuddered, then he heard a faint giggle  
“What’s so funny?” He asked with a smirk as he turned to face Mari  
“Why do you put up with her? You obviously don’t like her, so, why put up with it?” She teased. His smirk turned to a soft smile  
“I kinda have no choice… she was my first friend, and, our father’s are really close, so… I don’t want to cause any problems.. it’s just easier this way… anyway, i gotta get going for for fencing practice, see ya at lunch Mari”  
“Y-yeah, See Ya” she waved after him.

“Okay, so, everyone ready to start practicing? For the time being, I’ll be the queen since I don’t have any lines anyway, okay? Nino, why don’t you start us off?” Alya stated as she sat besides her boyfriend to share his script. Nino cleared his throat  
“Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful queen who wanted nothing more than to have a child. One day she pricked her finger as she looked out into the winter world before her, and she watched as a single drop of blood landed on the pure snow. She wished for a child with hair as black as ebony, lips as red as blood, and skin as white as snow. 9 months later the queen died during childbirth, leaving behind the King with a brand new baby girl, the King named her Snow White. The King later remarried a beautiful maiden, but then soon after died, leaving Snow White in the care of her stepmother. The queen hated the girl and forced her to work as a servant. However, this new queen was a proud sorceress and had used her magic to enchant a mirror, so everyday she would go down to the mirror and ask the same question”  
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Alya quoted dramatically. Mari and Adrien tried to muffle their laughs  
“And every time the mirror would answer 'Oh. You are great Queen, the fairest of them all’. But one day the answer was different”  
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?"Alya added even more dramatic hand gestures, causing even Nino to have a hard time containing himself  
"You are quite beautiful my Queen, this is true, but Snow White is even more beautiful than you”  
“What?! This simply won’t do… I must be rid of this wretched girl once and for all. But I cannot get my hands dirty, so how… ah, I know… HUNTSMAN!”  
“You called my queen?” Adrien read. Everyone sat there waiting for Alya to continue reading, when suddenly she had a menacing smile grace her features then she took the script from Nino, winked at Mari and continued  
“Oh, huntsman, it seems as though my stepdaughter has beauty far greater than mine… this simply won’t do, I MUST be the fairest in this land, so you, huntsman, will take the Princess into the forest… and marry her-” Mari spewed the juice she had just sipped and started choking on air. Nino busted into laughter. Adrien’s jaw dropped, eyes popped and face grew red before he tried to regain his composure  
“M-marry her?”  
“Yes. You will marry the girl, have 3 children, name the first after myself, and treat her like the princess she is. And as proof that you have done what is asked of you… you will bring me the pet hamster you get together as well as an invitation to the wedding… correction, I demand to be the maid-of-honor” Alya crossed her arms with confidence. Nino had begun laughing so hard he had fallen over and was holding his stomach as he started to snort, Adrien however, had only grown more red and ancy, while Mari…  
“ALYA!” she glared at her friend with a mixture of horror, anger, and excitement “j-just r-read the sc-script right!” Just then the bell rang  
“Oopsie, looks like we’re out of time… we’ll pick up on your answer later Huntsman.” Alya winked. Adrien and Mari just stared at the girl as she waved and headed to their next class, then the other three made their way to class as well, Nino still chuckling, Mari trying to hide her face, and Adrien trying to just make it to their classroom as fast as humanly possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment!!!  
> Please Comment!!!  
> how bout this... the more comments, the sooner the update ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up... you may want tissues... just saying

Chat burst into laughter “awe, common Princess… it may have been surprising before, but we can laugh about it now, right? I mean… it was just a joke, right?”  
“Surprising? Try embarrassing, humiliating, infuriating, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole right there” Mari stated as she fell back into the lawn chair, pulled her knees to her chest and dropped her head into her folded arms “I can’t believe she did that”  
“But it was just a joke… right?”  
“Did you SEE his face?” she asked seriously, looking him in the eye  
“Ehe, um… yeah, sure, he looked like-”  
“A deer in headlights... Chat, he was mortified… what am I going to do? He’ll probably never want to see me again…”  
“Hey, I wouldn’t go that far…” he tried to defend  
“But it’s true… isn’t it? I mean what if it were you?” This caught the boy off guard, but he quickly bounced back  
“Ah, well… if it were me… I’d probably have looked like a deer caught in headlights" he grinned while scratching the back of his neck "then after the shock wore off, I’d laugh about it… it was just a joke after all, right Princess?” Marinette sat with her knees to her chest as she stared at the floor “right?” She didn’t move “Princess?” She shook her head “Mari?”  
“You just don’t get it, do you?”  
“Get what?”  
“Get… it… anything… you think she just came up with ‘have 3 kids and a hamster’ all on her own? Those are MY dreams… got it? She wasn’t trying to make a joke, she was trying to play matchmaker, so that… so… that my dream could come true…”  
“Your dream?” Mari stood and walked over to the balcony, staring out into the city below as she sighed “Mari?”  
“I’m… i… I’m in love with him Chat… I’m in love with Adrien Agreste… I’m so hopelessly, completely, madly and utterly in love with him” she turned to look at her friend and noticed that he had suddenly become sickly pale, his eyes were bulged, and his jaw was dropped “Chat? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”  
“Wha- I mean, h-how long?” She turned her face to the side as a slight blush claimed her cheeks  
“The first day of school”  
“WHAT?! B-but, I thought you hated him, you know, after the whole gum incident…”  
“Oh? So now, not only do you go to my school, but you’re in my homeroom class?” She asked with a smirk. He gulped  
“Don’t tell My Lady”  
“Wouldn’t dream of it Kitty” she rolled her eyes with a smile “and to answer your question, you're right, I didn’t like him… at first, but then he showed me how kind he could really be, and I started to see him in a new light…”  
“Why haven’t you said anything?”  
“Have you not seen me when he’s around? I can’t even for a coherent sentence around him… 'ugh’ 'i’ 'uh’… seriously, I must sound like a total idiot to him”  
“Hey, common, you never know, maybe he thinks it’s cute”  
“*Pft* hardly, but thanks for trying” suddenly Chat’s smile fell as he took on a sad/serious expression  
“Princess, what if… what if he was already in love with someone else?” She turned to face him  
“What are you talking about?”  
“It’s just… I happen to know Adrien, you know, out of costume, and, he’s kinda been trying to confess his undying love for the past two years, however, every time he’s about to, something comes up… but, he’s not giving up, he’s set determined to tell this girl how much he loves her, how he’ll never leave her side, and how he’ll always be the partner by her side. I'm… I’m sorry Marinette” tears were starting to form in her eyes as she tried to push them back  
“Its… i-its okay Chat… as long as… a-as long as he’s happy” she forced a smile as the tears began to trail down her cheeks  
“Mari…” he went to reach out to her, she turned away from him.  
“I… I think that… y-you should go” he pulled his hand back solemnly and sighed sadly  
“Y-yeah, sure, i-i just didn’t want you to get hurt Princess… you’re one of my best friends, and I just wish we could be this way outside of the mask… i… I never meant to hurt you”  
“*sniff* No… no, it’s okay Kitty, really. Tha- *sniff* thank you for telling me, i… *sniff* I just want to be alone for right now, okay? I need to be alone right now…” she said sadly, barely above a whisper  
“As you wish, Princess… see ya” he gave a sad bow  
“Yeah, see ya”

“Tikki? Are… are you awake?” The girl whispered. The little kawamii floated up to her charge with a sad expression on her face  
“Marinette?”  
“Chat… he said that… he said…”  
“I’m sorry Mari” Marinette couldn’t hold back anymore and she started to cry. Tikki floated over to hug the girls cheek “oh Mari”  
“I-i-its just that…”  
“Shhh, let it out”  
“I.. I n-never even got to… to tell him… i… i…”  
“Shh, it’ll be okay Mari, do you… do you still want to be friends?” Mari nodded “you don’t have to if you think it’ll be too hard”  
“I know” she whispered, before another roll of tears came out and she cried herself to sleep.

“You know… you can be a real jerk kid” Plagg said as he folded his arms, glaring at his charge as Adrien fell face first onto his bed “you do realize that you probably just ruined her night… heck, she’s probably crying herself to sleep as we speak…”  
“Since when do you care?” Adrien asked as he turned to face the little lord of chaos  
“Kid, I’m over 3,000 years old, if you think I can’t tell when a girl has a broken heart, then you are sadly mistaken”  
“But I love Ladybug… what was I supposed to do? Lead Mari on until she eventually found out anyway? No… this is easier, let her know up front, so she doesn’t get too attached” Plagg stared at the boy  
“… you do realize it’s already been 2 years, right? If you wanted to avoid that, then you should have said something in the first month… she’s already attached Adrien, and YOU just broke her heart” Adrien sat up, laying his head in his hands  
“I really screwed up, didn’t I?”  
“Wow… you’re just figuring that out now?”  
“What am I supposed to do? How could I look at her the same again? I wasn’t supposed to know this… but I don’t want to lose her… her friendship means too much to me”  
“Well, beats me, I’m going to bed”  
“What?! After YOU’RE the one to point all of this out, YOU’RE GOING TO BED?! WHAT HAPPENED TO 'I’M OVER 3,000 YEARS OLD, I HAVE EXPERIENCE’?!”  
“… Look kid, I tried to warn you as Chat, but you refused to listen, and NOW you want my advice? Don’t think so, you dug this hole, you can get yourself out of it” Plagg added annoyed, as he floated over to his hidden bed.  
“No Camembert for you!” Adrien called  
“I already ate!” Plagg responded. “Stupid,goodfornothing,blind,stupidhumanchildwhocan'tseewhat'sclearlyinfrontofhim,orthathejustcrushedthegirlofhiddreams'heartbybeingsoblindandstupid” he mumbled as he tucked himself into bed, then he sighed 'how do I always end up with the most love-blind boys to ever walk the face of this planet? Why can’t they just ever just open their eyes and see the basic truth that’s staring them right in the face? He just broke Ladybugs heart… why do they always have to break Ladybug’s heart? I’m sorry Tikki, i tried to stop him, but, they never listen’ He thought to himself before he drifted off to sleep.

The next day Marinette seemed to be avoiding Adrien. Every time he would try to talk to her, she would walk away or turn her head sadly and ignore him. This continued into the next day… and the next day… and the next day. Adrien, try as he may, could not gain the girls attention. During play practice Mari wouldn’t even look at him, she just stared at the book and read what she was supposed to. They both seemed so sad, and Alya and Nino became concerned at their friends’ behaviors, so one day at lunch Alya pulled Mari aside for a little intervention.  
“Okay girl, spill it, what’s going on? Why are you avoiding Adrien? Is it because I teased you during our first skit practice? You know I was just teasing, I never meant to hurt you-”  
“No, Alya, *sigh* that’s not it”  
“Then what?”  
“Adrien, he… he’s in love with someone else”  
“WHAT?! Did he tell you that?”  
“No… but… a… a friend of his did”  
“Girl, you know you can’t rely on someone else’s word like that… you should ask Adrien, and… if he does happen to be in love with someone, well then… we’ll go from there, okay?” Alya asked as she pulled her friend into a side hug  
“*sigh* yeah, okay” the two walked back to their group.

“H-hey A-Adrien, can i… c-can I talk to you?” Marinette asked, shyly looking at the ground  
“M-Marinette, yeah, sure” Adrien walked over, following the girl until they reached the school’s front steps “what’s going on?”  
“A… a f-friend of yours… he said that… that you like someone… is… is th-that true?”  
“Wait, is that what’s been bothering you? Is that… why you’ve been avoiding me?” She nodded  
“Is… is it true? I mean, if it is, then good for you, I’m… I’m glad, it’s just… i… I just… is it true?” She fiddled with her fingers as she looked to the ground and tears started to form. Adrien took a deep breath as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking over the girl at nothing in particular  
“Yeah… it is”  
“Oh” she said softly  
“Oh?”  
“Have… have y-you told her yet?” Adrien sighed  
“No, it just seems like… every time I try, something gets in the way”  
“… does she make you happy?” This took the boy by surprise, then a soft smile grew on his face  
“Yeah… she does. What about you?”  
“I… I guess you could say i… have a celebrity c-crush, but… he’d never go for someone like me, so-”  
“What are you talking about? Mari you’re amazing, any guy would be lucky to have you by their side”  
“Please, you don’t have to say that” he grabbed her by her shoulders to face him  
“I mean it. Marinette, you are one of my best friends, I value our friendship and am so glad to have met you… i… I just want to be your friend Marinette, your kindness and friendship mean the world to me, and if anyone ever tries to hurt you, well, I don’t fence for nothing” he winked. She giggled as she tried to wipe away her tears  
“Same here… I’m glad you think of me as a friend… we are still friends… r-right?” Adrien looked shocked at the question  
“I wasn’t aware there was a chance we weren’t” he answered seriously, dropping his hands to his sides. She blushed as she brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear  
“We… w-we sh-should probably get back before-” just then the bell rang “*sigh* before the bell rings”  
“Alright. Can I walk you to your class? It’s on the way to my Chinese lessons anyway” he asked with a slight smile  
“Sure” she lightly smiled back. They both spent the rest of the week acting like nothing happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... don't kill me... Unfortunately this story can't be all fluff... there had to be at least a little angst to help the story go along... I promise, it'll get better, just please understand... this was necessary for the plot.
> 
> As always, comment, comment, comment!!!!  
> the more comments, the faster the update ;)


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey Mari, wanna come to the park with us later? Alya, Nino and I are gonna go over the script again before practice tomorrow”  
“Yeah, sure, sounds great” Marinette smiled as she turned to face Adrien.   
“Cool” Adrien stated sounding a little less sure of himself “then… I guess I’ll see you later”  
“Yeah, sure, sounds great” she smiled  
“R-right… see ya”  
“Bye” she smiled as she waved.

Adrien had only just come through the library door, before Alya bombarded him with questions “Well? What did she say? Is she coming?”  
“‘Yeah, sure, sounds great’ her exact words”  
“That’s it?” Nino asked, sounding down hearted “that’s been her answer to everything for like, what, 2 weeks now?”  
“I know… and she always says it with a smile, like she means it… she’s even agreeing with Chloe these days… Chloe!” Alya added in  
“And dude, just about everyone can tell it’s forced…”  
“Did something happen?” Alya asked Adrien as she placed her hand on his shoulder from standing beside him  
“I… I don’t know…” Adrien answered honestly ad he dropped his head. Alya and Nino looked at each other   
“You should talk to her, Adrien” Nino stated. Adrien’s head shot up, with a look of shock on his face  
“Wh-WHAT? Why me?”  
“Dude, common, there’s nothing to be scared of… it’s just Mari”  
“Besides…"Alya began "we both have already tried talking to her Adrien… but, she won’t tell us anything” the two looked to the boy with desperation. Adrien sighed  
“I guess I can try” he said, scratching the back of his neck. Alya threw her arms around the boys neck in a hug  
“Thank you” she said

After they finished practicing, Marinette rose to her feet, waved and started heading home. Adrien jumped to his feet and ran after her “MARINETTE! WAIT!” Mari turned as he grabbed her arm to grab her attention   
“Hi Adrien, what’s up?” Mari asked with a smile. Adrien frowned as he placed a hand on her shoulder   
“Marinette… are you… okay?”  
“What are you talking about Adrien?” She asked with a smile  
“Mari, I know you better than you think, please don’t lie to me” she smiled, he sighed “Marinette, I’m serious… you haven’t been yourself in, like, 2 weeks… wait… does this have anything to do with what… w-we talked about before? Marinette… I’m sorry, i… I didn’t mean to hurt y-”  
“What are you taking about Adrien?” She asked with a smile  
“Wh-what?”  
“I’m not upset with you Adrien, really. This has nothing to do with that… really Adrien, I’m fine”   
“But Marinette, you haven’t been-”  
“So, have you told her yet?” This caught the boy by surprise   
“Wh-what?”  
“The girl you said you like… have you told her?” She asked, a little too enthusiastic  
“Oh, uh… n-no, I uh… haven’t seen her yet”  
“But you’re still going to, right?”  
“Mari, what are you trying to-”  
“Does she make you happy?”  
“What?”  
“Are you happy Adrien?” He stared at her in confusion   
“Marinette, what does my happiness have to do with-”  
“If you’re happy, than I’m happy. You said before that she makes you happy, so, I’m happy, and happy for you… you should really tell her soon, I’m sure that would make her happy too” she smiled. He didn’t seem too sure   
“Marinette-”  
“Well, I gotta get going, I gotta help my parents with the bakery. Bye Adrien” she waved as she started backing up towards her home  
“Oh, okay, I’ll see you tomorrow”  
“Yeah, sure, sounds great” he frowned at the repeated phrase. He hadn’t gotten anything from her, he could tell she was still trying to hide something, he just couldn’t gather what. He sighed and headed back towards the park.

“So, what did she say?” Alya asked anxiously as she an Nino stood to their feet when they saw Adrien heading their way  
“She… asked if I was happy”  
“Huh?” The two asked in unison   
“She said if, that if I was happy, then she was happy… what’s that even supposed to mean?” Alya frowned  
“Adrien, did you two… did you happen to talk about you having a crush?”  
“Well, yeah” he answered while scratching the back of his neck   
“Woah dude, you have a crush? On who?” Nino asked  
“And when did this discussion take place?” Alya asked, completely ignoring her boyfriend   
“Well… about 2 weeks ago now” the two friends frowned  
“That’s just around the time Mari started acting weird” Nino whispered to Alya, she nodded  
“Adrien… were you aware… did you happen to know that… Mari has a crush?”  
“Well, yeah, she told me she had a celebrity crush… what does that have to do with anything?” (He wasn’t about to tell her about his conversation with her as Chat) Alya sighed as her head fell into her hand  
“Adrien, did it ever occur to you that YOU were that celebrity crush?”  
“M-ME?!” He asked shocked “but… I’m not a celebrity”  
“Dude, your face is like, all over Paris… the billboards, the posters, the magazines… heck even a bus or two… I’d say that pretty much makes you a Celeb, bro” Nino added  
“You seriously didn’t figure that out?” Alya asked  
“Well, I just…”  
“Boy you really are dense, aren’t you?” she stated as she pinched the brim of her nose  
“Hey!”  
“Sorry bro, gotta go with Alya on this one” Nino added “like, seriously, EVERYONE could tell… you seriously didn’t know?”  
“Well… I guess… I kinda knew, or at least, I guessed it, but then… she said she liked someone else, or at or at least, that’s what I thought she was saying…” Alya sighed  
“Man, you really are clueless”  
“Gee, thanks” Just then they heard a car horn. All three turned to see Gorilla walking over to open the back-passenger door “aw man… looks like we’ll have to finish this up later… see ya tomorrow” Adrien waved as he walked over to the waiting car.

Chat landed on the balcony and made his way over to the sky window. He knocked on the glass, but got no reply. He knocked again, but still she didn’t come, so he tried opening the window, surprised to find that it was opened. “Princess?” He climbed in, careful not to actually step on her bed, and climbed down the step ladder to the floor, where he found the girl sewing away “Princess?” He asked as he crept towards the girl  
“Chat Noir, what are you doing here?” She asked with that same fake smile. Chat frowned   
“What’s wrong?” He asked  
“Why Chat, what do you mean?”  
“Mari you haven’t been yourself at all these last 2 weeks, your friends are worried sick about you… whatever it is, you can’t keep it bottled up like this… your smile’s fake, and don’t even try to lie and say it’s not… Mari, I know you better than you think I do… so please… tell me the truth” it was then he noticed the pictures hanging on her wall “does it have to do with him?” He asked, still staring at the images. Mari smiled, but then tears started to form in her eyes, falling down her cheeks, and finally her smile fell. Her hands flew to her face as she began to sob uncontrollably. Chat pulled her into a hug  
“I… i c-can’t lie to y-you” she sobbed “w-why can’t I lie to you l-like everyone else?”  
“Shh… don’t worry Mari, it’ll be alright, okay?” He held her until her tears became just sniffles, stroking her hair as he whispered encouraging words into her ear  
“Why can’t I fake it with you? I was able to fool everyone else… heck, i even fooled Adrien… so why are you so different?” She whispered as she regained her composure   
“Sorry to break it to you Princess, but actually, you haven’t fooled anyone… not even Adrien” he whispered back. She sighed  
“Figures”  
“Princess, everyone is worried about you… why can’t you tell anyone the truth?” She tightened her hold on him and buried her cheek further into his chest  
“I figured that if I said it enough… then maybe… I’d start to actually believe it myself…” Chat frowned  
“And the truth is?”  
“I’m not” she began to cry again “i… I just can’t help it… it hurts… it hurts so much… I tried to ignore it… to ignore the heartbreak… to ignore my feelings… to actually be happy for him… but it’s just… I can’t… I want him to be happy, I want to be happy for him, I just… my heart is shattered Chat… it’s shattered… I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same again… Chat…” he held her tighter, burying his face into her hair  
“Marinette, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, I should have never said anything… I never meant to hurt you… I’m such an id-”  
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence…” she pulled away to look him in the eyes “I’m glad you told me, that you were honest with me… does it hurt? Yes, but it would have hurt none the less… you just gave me a heads up… I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t. Chat, you’re probably the best friend I’ve ever had… don’t tell Alya” she winked, causing him to chuckle “and… I’m glad you were so honest with me… thank you” the Cat-boy’s smile fell. He placed a hand on her shoulder ad his gaze found his feet a better option than the face of the girl in front of him  
“Mari… I haven’t actually been as honest as you as you think… I’m really-” she placed a single finger to his lips  
“Kitty, stop. I don’t want to know who you are under the mask right now… I just want you to accept my gratitude” then she kissed his cheek. Chats eyes went wide and his jaw dropped as his left hand slowly rose to feel the place she had kissed “thank you, Kitty, for listening.” She blushed slightly. Chat was still struck dumbfounded  
“Uh, i-uh, y-yeah, n-no problem” his own blush had grown to cover his entire face.

Chat released his transformation as soon as his feet touched his bedroom floor “Finally. You know kid, we really need to talk about you staying out so late… eh, kid?” Adrien walked over to his bed, sat down, closed his eyes and placed his hand back on his cheek “Kid?”  
“I can still feel it Plagg… it was over an hour ago, but I can still feel it” a slight smile had grown on his face. Plagg floated in front of his charge  
“Uhh… Adrien? You-Hoo! Kid! EARTH TO CHEESE-PROVIDER! HELLO?!” Plagg knocked on the boys head  
“Huh? What?” Plagg flung his arms out dramatically  
“Finally… you went off to lala land before giving me my cheese” he crossed his arms over his little chest  
“Sorry” Adrien said sheepishly as he held out a block of Camembert “it’s just… I’ve had girls kiss my cheek before, heck, Chloe’s been kissing me since we were toddlers, but… they’ve never… lasted… like… this…” Plagg rolled his eyes  
“Kid, you do realize that you already rejected her, evenagainstbetterjudgement” he mumbled at the end “so, do you really think having a crush on the girl is a good idea? I mean you looove, Ladybug, right? Wouldn’t it be wrooong to like another girl?” He asked smugly as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Adrien frowned   
“I-its not like that, I mean, I do love Ladybug, I love her more than anything in the world, and I would never betray her… I’m just surprised that… she kissed me Plagg”  
“No… she kissed Chat, her best friend, as a thank you… I mean, common kid, you call her Princess, you call yourself her knight… what did you expect would happen? Or I suppose the real question is… what do you think she would think, if she Found out, that the Same Boy that was Comforting Her During her Heartbreak, IS THE VERY SAME BOY WHO BROKE IT?! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT’S FAIR TO HER?! I TOLD YOU… I TOLD YOU THAT WE SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE, BUT DID YOU LISTEN?! NO! OF COURSE NOT! I’M ONLY 4,000 YEARS OLD, WHAT DO I KNOW OF HUMAN ROMANCE?!” Plagg motioned drastically as he floated around wildly, full of frustration   
“Plagg, will you calm down, please?”  
“Calm down?… CALM DOWN?! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT KIND OF A JERK MOVE THAT WAS?! YOU’RE SO SELFISH KID, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO STARTED THIS BY TELLING HER THAT 'ADRIEN’ LIKES SOMEONE ELSE, AND YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT SHE HAD GOTTEN OVER 'HIM’ THAT FAST?! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?! YOU WENT AND 'TOLD’ HER YOU GO TO HER SCHOOL, YOU TALK TO HER ABOUT THINGS YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD JUST TALKED ABOUT A FEW HOURS BEFORE, YOU CONSTANTLY TALK UP LADYBUG, AND 'NOW’ YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST DECIDED THAT 'OH, HEY, I HAVE A CRUSH ON THE GIRL WHO’S HEART I TOTALLY JUST SHATTERED’… DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW UNFAIR THAT IS TO MARINETTE?!” Adrien blinked dumbfoundedly “WHAT?!” Plagg asked full of fury  
“Y-you called her… Marinette” Plagg sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose  
“Believe it or not Kid, I do pay attention to our surroundings, even when you’re Chat Noir…” Plagg floated down and sat in the boys waiting hand “look Adrien… I hate to do this, but you’re gonna have to make a choice… who would you rather be with? Ladybug, who loves you like a brother… or Marinette, who loves you enough to let you go?” Adrien looked shocked, then he rose to his feet  
“What? Plagg there’s no question, It’s… it’s… its…”  
“Kid, you don’t have to decide tonight… think it over, sleep on it at least… which ever you choose, she’s a wonderful girl, but please… just choose which one you want to pursue and ask her out… it’ll save us all a lot of hassle. Alright, that being said, time for bed Kid… you still have school tomorrow. Just… sleep on it at least… if you need, take a few days, but for now… sleep.” Adrien sighed as he walked over to his bed  
“Yeah, alright” he said solemnly “night”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... PLEASE don't kill me... truth is, this chapter has been done for a little while now, thing is though... eheh, I've been cleaning my room for the past few days, and... my laptop kinda got buried, so I couldn't update till just now... sorry...  
> On the plus side, chapter 7 is almost done, so it shouldn't take as long to upload ^_^  
> Again, thank you all for your patience and support... you have no idea how much they mean to me <3
> 
>  
> 
> Remember... Comment, comment, comment ;)


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next few days, Adrien watched as Marinette began to go back to normal. He smiled at the thought that their secret talk could have actually helped his friend, but at that thought, he remembered the kiss and he absent-mindedly lifted his hand to his cheek as he began to blush slightly. He hadn’t forgotten what he and Plagg had talked about that night until that mmoent, and his smile faltered a little when he realized what he was doing “Hey Adrien… what’s wrong?” Startled, Adrien turned to see Marinette standing beside him, hands folded behind her back, with a small, REAL smile on her face… he loved that smile  
“*eh-um* Marinette, hi”  
“Hi” the girl then sat down beside him “so… are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?”  
“Wh-what? What do you mean?”  
“Adrien, common, don’t lie to me… you keep smiling, but then it’s like, you catch yourself and you start to frown, like you don’t want to smile or something… is everything okay?” His hand felt like it had just caught fire when she laid hers on of it, and he felt the blush continue to grow on his face “you know you can tell me, right? We’re friends… did something happen?”  
“I uh… guess you could say that…”  
“Is it work?”  
“Kinda… it’s related to it anyhow…”  
“What’s going on?”  
“Well… I kinda have this secret, second job… that’s all I can say about it though, I mean, my own father doesn’t even know about it” she nodded in understanding. He sighed and continued “during this job, I met this… amazing girl, sweet as can be, and, well, we kinda became best friends… we joke together, we laugh together, we’ve cried together… but then, a few days ago…” he paused, noticing how uncomfortable Marinette was starting to look, he suddenly remembered the actual reason SHE had been the one crying the night before “i-I’m sorry Mari, we don’t have to talk about this if it’s upsetting you” she looked shocked that he had caught her, she sighed  
“Adrien… it’s okay… I mean, I was the one who asked”  
“But, I don’t want you to be sad again” she smiled  
“Don’t worry… I’m fine” she took a deep breath and pushed some of her hair behind her ear “so… a few days ago?” He sighed, there was just no getting over how selfless she really was  
“A few days ago… I was with her, helping her with a personal issue, then… she kissed me” Mari’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide  
“Wh-what?” she sounded shocked, then Adrien realized that... he may have phrased that wrong  
“nononono... It wasn’t like that…" he rushed "I don’t think she likes me that way, it was just a peck on the cheek, more of a ‘thank you’ gesture than anything” Mari let out a breath in relief, and Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle in his head  
“Okay, so… what’s the problem? Is she the girl you were going to confess to?” Adrien held his head in his hands  
“See, that’s the problem… she’s not.”  
“Then what’s the problem? If the kiss meant nothing... why do you look so distressed?”  
“The problem is that... when she kissed me... my heart paused. My cheek was so warm where she had kissed it… even 5 hours later, when I was finally home and in bed, I could still feel it… and now every time I think about it, my cheek burns with the ghost of her lips, and I can’t help but to touch the spot and smile… but, I’m in love with Lad-e-I mean, someone else… my coworker, if you would… I just… I’m so confused”  
“Oh…” Marinette’s gaze fell to her folded hands on her lap “well...”  
“What am I supposed to do? What is all this supposed to mean?”  
“… it… i-it almost s-sounds like… you… h-have a c-crush on this… girl” she whispered. Adrien lifted his head to look at her, noticing the tears starting to form in her eyes.  
“Hey” he said softly as his gently lifted her head with one hand, to look her in the eye “we don’t have to talk about this right now” he said gently as he wiped the tears from her eyes “I don’t want you to be sad, and if this is too much for you right now… we can stop. I’m okay, I promise. Please Mari… I don’t want you to cry” she gave a single laugh while drying her tears  
“Adrien… you’re too kind, really. I’m okay, really. I asked you to tell me, and I do want to help you, no matter what… even if it is to help you figure out your feelings for a… a certain girl…” she responded, avoiding his gaze. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. “Have you told her yet?” Mari broke the silence  
“No… I still haven’t seen her yet… we may be partners, but… usually we take turns doing the job… we hardly ever really see each other, and when we do… we have to focus on the job at hand… nothing else. There’s no time for chit-chat, and by the time we’re done… there’s still no time… heck, we don’t even know each others real names… only our screen names. ”  
“I see”  
“But… this girl… she’s amazing, smart, strong, pretty, funny, kind… I know her name, what she likes, what makes her really laugh, how her eyes sparkle like stars when she really smiles. We tease each other, but we’re always there for each other.”  
“It sounds to me… like… you actually DO have a crush on her”  
“But I love my coworker… I fell in love with her the first day I met her… she’s strong, beautiful, quick witted, smart, incredible… we’re an unstoppable team, she’s a natural born leader… her eyes shine like the sun, her smirk makes my heart stutter…” Marinette frowned   
“Adrien… which one do you really love?”  
“What?” She turned her whole body to face him, giving her her undivided attention, and sucked in a deep breath  
“The way you described them both… it was so similar… it’s almost like… you love them both” Adrien looked shocked, it was one thing hearing it from Plagg, but to hear it from one of the girls he was actually talking about…  
“Mari… i-” she placed a single finger against his lips  
“Don’t… just think about it… alright? Which one does your heart really belong to?” Adrien dropped his head and sighed. Marinette rubbed his back in a soothing manner. Suddenly Adrien’s phone went off, alerting him that he had 5 minutes to get to Fencing practice “don’t worry… we can finish this later, okay?” Mari asked as she stood to her feet  
“Yeah, sure, sounds great” Mari frowned at the same response she had just gotten out of using, noticing the slight-playful smirk on his face... Oh, he was mocking her was he?  
“Oh no you don’t…" she smirked, pulling him to his feet "I just stopped using that excuse… I’m not about to let you fall into that same mannerism” she giggled “Have a great day Adrien”  
“Yeah… you too Marinette…” then they parted ways, each headed to their designated locations.

Chat Noir was jumping through Paris, about to start patrol, when his baton suddenly started ringing “My Lady?”  
“Hey Chat, sorry I’ve been out of reach for a while”  
“N-no, you’re fine”  
“Good. So anyway, you’ve been pulling a lot of single shifts, so… why don’t you take the night off?”   
“Wait, what?”  
“Chat, you’ve been working yourself to the bone… I thank you for my break, but now it’s your turn… I can’t be having my partner overwork himself… so please… I can call you after patrol, if you want” Chat’s eyes were wide and his jaw dropped  
“Uuh… y-yeah, yeah okay… sure”  
“Great. See ya then” then she was gone. Chat stood with his back leaned against a random chimney… now what was he going to do? It was only 10 at night, only an hour since he had proclaimed that he was “going to bed”, and he really didn’t want to go back home so soon… his mind suddenly went to a certain classmate of his, who had a thing for pigtails and pink. Then, with a smirk, he began to make his way to the local bakery’s attic balcony.

When he got there, everything was pitch black. He landed on the floor and walked over to the skylight window. He bent down on one knee, he flinched for a moment at the thought of possibly invading her sleep, then he gathered his courage and used his night vision to peek into the window and saw… nothing. The bed was neatly made, her desk had been cluttered with homework, and her script book was laying on her sofa… but there was no Marinette. Chat frowned. Where could she be? Was she out with Alya? She hadn't said anything, and usually she would at least leave a note if she was with her BFF… “Princess?” He lifted open the window, surprised to find it unlocked. He jumped through, completely avoiding her bed, and landed on his feet on the floor. “Princess?” He called again as he started walking through the pitch black room. He walked around until he found the light switch across the room. With the lights on, he could now notice all the little details he looked over. He noticed a sewing mannequin, with a pretty pink sundress in the making, balls of yarn (one that looked very similar to the scarf his father gave him for his birthday a few years before) sitting in a woven basket, she had a small shelf filled with movies and music (including just about every Disney movie ever made… in release order he noticed), there was a Chat Noir doll, half finished, sitting on one side of her desk, and her drawing notebook. He knew he shouldn't, this was her private drawing book, but... common, it's not like it was her journal, and he knew she would NEVER allow it if she were here, but... how does the saying go... Curiosity killed the cat? He picked up the book and started flipping through the pages… they were mostly fashion designs with tons of notes at the side, but there were also some sketches of her friends… mostly everyone in their class. He had never seen her with her notebook out in class, so he could only assume that she had done these all by memory… there was one of Alya, Nino, her mom and dad, Nathaniel, Rose, Jeuleka, Ivan and Maylene, Max, Kym, Sabrina, there was even one of Chloe, each sketch had to have taken at least an hour to complete, the details were just so amazing, but what really got him was her sketch of Adrien Agreste… where she had taken an hour (presumably) to create the others, this one would have taken at least a day… it was so detailed, the shadings were just right, the highlights in just the right spots… where everyone else’s pictures had been done with just pencil, his had included a fairly light amount of color, just barely noticeable in the proper lighting. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought some elaborate artist with years of practice had sketched such a piece, not some 16 year old girl still in High School. He flipped the page and continued to look through the pages… she had drawn the Akumas, each with a detailed description of the villian, what caused it, their specialty, the lucky charm used, and how he and Ladybug had defeated them… she had drawn each and everyone of them, from Stone Heart to Volpina… He turned the page and was astonished to find… him. Not as Adrien Agreste, but as Chat Noir, alongside Ladybug. Throughout the next pages, he found sketches of him and Ladybug in battle, jumping on the roofs, and even one where they were sitting atop the Eiffel Tower, looking out over Paris. Chat was shocked 'I had no idea she was interested in us like this… she’s always been so reserved and quiet… she has so much detail involved in each of these... how does she know that we meet on the Eiffel Tower?... has she secretly been watching us?... there's no way she just imagined this... it's too real, almost like she had been there to see the scene... she’s a bit more overbservent than I thought, she may even rival Alya at this rate… I’ll have to keep a better eye on her… make sure she stays out of trouble…’ he flipped the next page and was astonished to find himself again, but this time, alone, the shading and details rivaling the sketch of Adrien 'What is-’. just then his baton started ringing. Startling him out of his thought, he fumbled (and almost dropped) his baton as he reached to answer it “hello?”

Ladybug was just finishing up the last of her patrol when she decided to run back home before calling her feline partner. However, before she could reach her balcony, she noticed that not only was her light on, but her skylight window was open 'oh, no he did not’ she stopped at a neighbors rooftop and grabbed her yoyo.   
“Hello?”  
“Hey Chat, I just finished patrol and was gonna head home real quick to grab something then I was wondering if… you…” she trailed off when she noticed the tell tail signs of her Adrien wall Montage behind him 'he’s in my room… are you kidding me? Great, now what?’ “Where are you?” She asked plainly  
“Eh?”  
“Don’t you 'eh’ me… you’re at Marinette’s place, aren’t you?”  
“Oh, uh… y-yeah, I guess I am” he scratched the back of his neck nervously, then she had an idea  
“Oh, well, good then. Would you hand her the baton? I need to talk to her about Commissioning a new jacket for the fall.” She smirked   
“Oh, well uh… she’s uh… not here right now” Ladybug feigned shock   
“What? Chat, you didn’t break in did you?” She teased  
“What? N-no, of course not… the window was unlocked when I got here, so I just-”  
“Was she HOME when you got there?”  
“… no” Ladybug shook her head as she inwardly chuckled  
“Well then I suggest you leave before someone finds you and thinks you’re a cat burglar”  
“Was that a cat pun My Lady?”  
“You better hurry” she ignored the question “right now's about the time her parents usually close up shop”  
“All right, all right”  
“Meet me on the tower in 30 minutes… I have to stop home and grab something, then I’ll meet you there”  
“All right, sounds Purrfect My Lady” she rolled her eyes as she hung up. She only had to wait a couple minutes more before she saw her light turn off, and Chat jump from her balcony, towards the Eiffel Tower.

She wasn’t lying. She only had just enough time to detransform, jump in bed and roll onto her side, before her mother peeked through the floor door to see her in bed. Marinette waited a few minutes after her mother had shut her door, before she got up and turned on the light to see. “What are we doing Marinette?” Tikki asked as the girl went around gathering supplies in a red and black poka-dotted backpack.   
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Chat as Ladybug, I figured that maybe we could just watch movies all night… plus, it was the only way I could think that he’d actually listen to me to relax, I figured, he’d have to if he wanted to see 'his Lady’.” Tikki giggled  
“Oh Marinette” Mari gathered the last of her items then transformed and headed out into the night.

“There you are… I was starting to think I’d been stood up” Chat said with a smirk as he rose to his feet  
“Sorry… I had to pretend to be asleep… my mom had come to check on me”  
“No big. So… what’s in the bag?” He asked as he craned his neck to see. She smirked   
“You know… curiosity killed the cat”  
“Ah, but satisfaction brought it back” he winked. She rolled her eyes. Then she pulled out a portable DVD player, 3 movies, a bag of pretzels, a small tub of icing, 2 bottles of water, and a large blanket to share. Chat’s eyes grew wide “What’s that?” He askes, looking at the snack  
“What? You’ve never had pretzels and icing before?” She asked with a smirk, he shook his head. Ladybug gasped “WHAT?! HOW could you have NEVER had one of the BEST snacks in the WORLD?!” He looked at her blankly “Ugh, how are we even friends?” She teased, chat fained shock  
“My Lady? You wound me, it just so happens that I happen to have a job aside from this, and for such, I have to watch what I eat” he smirked. Ladybugs smirk fell  
“Wait, you’re serious?”  
“Of course. People pay good money for pictures of me, and as such, I’ve been put on a very strict diet…” just then they both heard his stomach grumble, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously “o-of course, this was set up before including 'Be Chat Noir’ to my extra curricular activities” he grinned  
“But… you’re all skin and bones”   
“Um, My Lady, I believe I have muscle too”  
“That’s not what I meant… you don’t have any fat”  
“Isn’t that a good thing?” He was generally confused   
“Actually… no… see, your body uses your fat to keep you warm and energized… without fat, your body may just turn on your muscles… we need to fatten you up… at least a little, this isn’t good for you” she looked seriously concerned, and it warmed Chat’s heart a little bit. Ladybug sighed, and handed him the blanket and the DVD player while she grabbed the rest of the supplies “So, what would you like to watch? I brought 3 different films to choose from, there’s-”  
“What’s this?” She turned to see that he had opened the DVD player and was staring at the screen, then she heard the familiar sound of the DVD menu  
“Oh, that… it’s nothing… I was babysitting the last time I used it… I guess I forgot there was a movie in there… we don’t have to watch it, I brought other, more mature movies to choose-”  
“Let’s watch this” Ladybug blinked  
“Wait, what?”  
“We can watch this one”  
“But Chat… it’s a cartoon-”  
“To be fair, it's actually the very first cartoon movie from America... I don’t mind”  
“I brought other optio-”  
“My Lady, this is fine… actually, a friend of mine is playing the Princess in a school play, and, um… I haven’t seen it in years…” she sighed  
“Okay Chatton, that’s fine. Scooch over some, would ya?" then she sat the snacks between, wrapped herself into the blanket with Chat, handed him a water, and pushed play on the movie "you know what… Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is actually my favorite” she smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I'm not sure I like the ending of this chapter, or at least how it's played out, it feels like it should have more, but I honestly can't think of anything else at the moment... oh well, it still leads into the next chapter fairly well ;)
> 
> Comment, comment, comment =^_^=  
> Love yals <3


	8. Home Alone

It was Friday morning, and surprisingly, even though she hadn’t gotten home from her movie with Chat til about 3 in the morning (she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and only woke up when he had started to nod off too), Marinette was wide awake and ready to go by 7am… Tikki on the other hand… poor thing has been sleeping since they got home.  
Marinette had gone downstairs to get some breakfast when her parents came into the attached living room, surprised to find their ‘sleep-til-the-last-second’ daughter already awake, eating and ready for the day. “You’re up already?” Sabine asked  
“I just woke up and didn’t feel like going back to sleep” she said around eating her bagel  
“Well… I guess now we don’t have to leave a note” Tom began “your mom and I have just been invited to a Bakers Conference out of town… we’ll be gone for the next 3 days… don’t worry, we’ll post a note on the door explaining that we’ll be closed all weekend, so you don’t have to worry about any deliveries or anything…”  
“We do ask, however, that if you make a mess, you clean it, if you have friends over, you stay responsible, and that if you find the time, that you clean your room” Sabine finished with a smirk. Marinette looked sheepishly up at her mother  
“Yes Mom” then Sabine and Tom bid their farewells and were off.

A few hours later she was sitting in class, talking to Alya before the first bell would ring “So, not only did you actually wake up on time… but you get the whole house to yourself for the entire weekend? Girl, I’m so jealous” Alya lightly punched her friends shoulder playfully  
“Alya” Mari giggled “it’s really not that big a deal… my parents get these out-of-the-blue invites all the time… it’s not like I’m going to throw a party or anything…”  
“Dude, Who’s throwing a party?” Mari and Alya turn to see Nino and Adrien just taking their seats  
“Mari is” Alya smirked as she crossed her arms  
“No, I am not, Alya… stop spreading rumors… I swear, if I get home and find people waiting at my door for a party… I’m sending them to your house” Alya laughed  
“So… no party then” Nino added  
“No party… my parents ARE out of town, and I AM allowed to have friends over, but I am NOT throwing a party… I’m too responsible for that” Mari stuck her nose in the air on a mocking/haughty manner. Alya covered her mouth to try and hold in her giggles  
“Bummer man” Nino deflated  
“You’re parents are out of town?” Everyone turned to look at the boy  
“A-Adrien… um.. y-y-yeah, uh… see, they were invited to a-uh, baking conference, so… yeah”  
“So… you’re home by yourself?” She nodded “I see”  
“I-its not bad, I mean… it happens all the time, and they trust me to make wise choices, I mean, I’m 16, I guess it’s kinda like p-practice for when I live on my own, you know?” Just then the bell rang and the teacher walked in, alerting everyone that class was about to begin.

After school was over, Marinette and Alya had gone straight to her house. Once there, they grabbed a dozen cookies each and headed up to Mari’s room, where they went over their lines for the script while Mari cleaned her room, Marinette reciting her lines from memory, and Alya quoting all the rest. “You know Alya, I think you could possibly be the understudy for just about any part” Mari stated as she reached to retack a picture of Adrien that had fallen to the floor. Alya laughed  
“That might be true”  
“Nino better watch his back… you pretty much have the whole book down by heart”  
“What can I say? I love theater” Alya winked. Both girls broke into a fit of laughter. After Mari was done cleaning, she ran downstairs to get the large pizza they had ordered. She and Alya split the whole thing, a 2 liter of coke, and two bags of potato chips while they laughed, and talked about boys. Once they were finished, they cleaned up their mess and Alya went to fetch a movie…  
“Alya?”  
“What?”  
“You do realize that the play is not based off the movie, right?”  
“No duh Mari, that doesn’t mean that we can’t watch it though… besides, I thought you said Snow White was your favorite Disney movie?” Alya asked with her hands on her hips. Mari smiled shyly as she bounced between feet  
“It is” Alya smirked  
“Then common, grab some popcorn and let’s get this show on the road” Alya winked. Mari giggled then ran back to the kitchen to grab both popcorn and more movie snacks.  
About an hour into the movie however, Alya gets a call.  
“Hey girl, looks like I’m not gonna get to spend the night… mom got called into work, so I have to babysit… maybe we could try again later?” Alya said as she began gathering up her things  
“Sure. No problem” Mari smiled as she stood to help her friend  
“Sorry girl” the two hugged  
“it’s no problem, really… we have the whole weekend, we can try again later.” Mari walked her to the door and bid her final goodbyes, then she walked back to her room and finished the movie… it was her favorite, after all…

The next day Mari was sewing up a storm, designing a new jacket for Ladybug to use during the fall (again, she wasn't lying... she could never lie to him). Tikki was still asleep as it was only 7 in the morning… funny how the closer to Summer it gets, the easier it is to wake up earlier… even on a Saturday. It was a beautiful, sunny day outside with only a light breeze, so she opened all her windows to let her room air out. She loved the feeling of the light breeze just barely blowing at her hair (she hadn’t put it up yet) as she waltzed around her room, fetching materials and pins to use. The movie was still fresh in her mind as she worked to complete her project. She heard Tikki moan as she stretched, and a smile came to her as she had an idea… she crept over the the half-asleep kawamii, just peeking over the edge of the bed as she whispered “psst… hey Tikki… wanna know a secret?” Tikki peeked one eye open  
'Hmm?“  
"Promise not to tell?” Tikki finally started to catch on as she still tried to wake up  
“Mm hmm” she hummed in response with a small smile  
“We are standing by a wishing well” Marinette sang…

Chat had been leaping over the Parisian rooftops for over an hour, he had just felt so restless, that he couldn’t keep still. He let his mind go blank, letting his feet lead the way, enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through his hair. He was still jumping when he first heard it “I’m wishing…” it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard… “for the one i love… ” he had to find it “to find me…” he recognized it… “today…” it was the first song from the movie he and Ladybug watched 2 nights ago “I’m hoping…” it was so beautiful “and I’m dreaming of…” surely an angel must have come down from heaven, and was serenading those around her “the nice things…” the song was getting louder, he was close “he’ll say…” he was sitting on the roof across from the bakery… he could see the girl gliding through her room with such grace, it was like she hadn’t been moving at all “ah hah hah hah ah…” he jumped the the ground in front of the bakery, pulled out his baton, and let it pull himself up to be level with the window “ah hah hah hah ah…” his breath caught at the sight of her singing to herself as she sewed away with her back towards him “ah hah hah hah ah…” as he watched her, a sly grin appeared on his face “hah hah hah hah hah ah…” quietly, he climbed in through the window, “I’m wishing…” he stood still, knowing what was to come, “for the one I love…” waiting for his cue “to find me…” he smiled “today…”  
“TodAAAY” Marinette spun herself around so fast, she was surprised she didn’t have whiplash “Now that I’ve found you…”  
“Chat?”  
“Here’s what I have to SAAAY”  
“Chat what are you doing here?” She giggled  
“One Song, I have but One Song…”  
“Chat? Y-you can sing?”  
“One Song, only for you…” he began walking forward “One Heart, tenderly beating…” her breath caught "ever entreating…“ he was getting closer "constant and Truuue…” her heart skipped a beat “One Love, that has possessed me…” she could feel the blush on her cheeks “One Love, thrilling me through…” her hands flew to cover her mouth “One Song, my heart keeps singing…” she looked him square in the eyes as her hands fell to her sides, he stood right in front of her “of One Love…” he took her left hand in his “Only for Yooou” he brought her hand to his lips  
“Chat?” She whispered. She was speechless… what was he doing here? When did he get here? How did he get in here? WHY WAS HE HERE? “Ch-Chat, what are you doing here?” He pulled her hand away, a sweet smile on his face  
“I was on patrol this morning when I heard the most beautiful voice, naturally, I just had to find where it was coming from, so… I followed it”  
“H-how did you hear me?”  
“Princess, I’m a cat… I have highly developed hearing… pluus, the fact that your window was open… I swear, I thought an angel had come down to grace this land with her beauty… not to mention, what kind of Knight would I be if I left the Princess to sing a duet alone?” she felt the blush starting up again, but she tried to push it back, refusing to let anyone make her blush, aside from Adrien… especially not her… partner  
“S-stupid cat” well… at least she tried “why are you here? It’s, like 7 in the morning… what are you doing here? What if someone saw you? Why are you out so early? Is there an Akuma?"she asked in a rush. Chat laughed  
"No Princess, there’s no Akuma, truth is, I had the day off today and just kinda wanted to have some time to myself” he scratched the back of his neck “give me a chance to clear my head... then I heard your singing, and followed it back to you. As for being seen… 1. It’s Saturday, only insane people like you and me” he winked “are crazy enough to be up this early… which is probably why I could hear you so well. 2. I heard that your parents were out of town for the weekend, so, I knew I was safe there” he smirked “and 3, I saw that friend of yours go home last night while I was on patrol, then I saw her mom leaving while she held one of her sisters and the others stood beside her as they waved goodbye… I figured she probably had to babysit” he grinned. She was shocked, he had covered just about everything, wait…  
“How did you know my parents were gone?”  
“We go to the same school” he scratched the back of his neck  
“WHAT?! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!”  
“I mean, you kinda already figured it out before, so, there’s really no point in hiding it” he shrugged. Well… she felt stupid  
“Oh… r-right” Chat stretched and let a moan escape his lips. Mari giggled “tired Kitty?”  
“What? Oh, no. But I am a little hungry”  
“What’d you have for breakfast?”  
“I uh… eheh… didn’t” he grinned sheepishly. Mari’s eyes bulged  
“Are You SERIOUS?! You’ve been out for how long-”  
“About 3 hours, actually”  
“And you haven’t eaten ANYTHING?!”  
“Well, I mean, I’m on a strict diet at home, and if I went to eat this early, I would have gotten yelled at, and… I wanted to run” Mari shook her head  
“That’s no excuse. Common” she grabbed his hand and started dragging him downstairs to the kitchen. He was shocked as she pulled him along like nothing, a firm grip on his wrist  
“Um… o-okay"she pulled him along until they reached the breakfast bar, and she forced him to sit down.  
"Sit. Stay.”  
“Mari, I’m a cat, not a dog”  
“Good boy” she teased with a smirk as she ruffled the top of his hair, he pouted, then she turned and headed into the kitchen “I’m gonna make some milk toast… ever tried it?”  
“Milk… toast?”  
“You’re a cat, right?” She teased from the kitchen “you’ll love it” she came back a few minutes later with two bowls in her hands, sitting one down in front of him, and the other at her seat  
“Um… its… soggy”  
“Don’t knock it till you try it”  
“What’s in it?”  
“Good stuff”  
“It’s healthy?”  
“I said good stuff, not good-for-you stuff… you need to fatten up… just try it.” Then she took a bite of her own  
“Oookay…” he took one bite and suddenly his face lit up “this is amazing… you made this? This is so good” he began shoveling it into his mouth, she giggled  
“I told you it was good. What we have here is a brilliant combination of four of the best ingredients ever… bread, butter, milk and sugar. It may look weird, but it’s so worth it once you’re eating it”. Chat ended up having 3 servings before he declared he was finished  
“That’s it, It's decided, Mari, we're getting married, and I want milk toast for breakfast every day” she laughed  
“Oh, I’m your wife now am I?” He grinned “fine, then I want to wake up to my husband serenading me every morning” she smirked  
“With pleasure” he bowed. They both broke into a fit of laughter  
“No, but seriously… you have a really good voice, ever think about going pro?”  
“I’d actually like to get away from the public eye in civilian form… I’ve grown up the center of attention, and… I’d kinda like out.”  
“Aww, the poor humble Kitty” she teased  
“That’s me… humble and lonely… it’s because of my… job… that many people seem nervous around me, like, I’m so much better than them, but really… I just want to be a regular kid, like everyone else” his smile turned sad  
“Im… i-im so sorry Kitty” he gave a single chuckle  
“Princess, there’s no need to be sorry, it’s just my life. I was born into it… even when I’m with my friends, I still need to keep up the facade of being the perfect, golden child… being Chat is the only way I can actually be myself, so… I transform as much as I can… especially when I have the day off… it doesn’t happen often... thankfully I can bribe my kawamii with extra cheese to transform... technically when not necessary” he tried to lighten the mood  
“Well… you’re always welcome here” Chat’s cat ears perked up as he faced her  
“What?”  
“I said, that if you ever need to get away, but still want a friend, you’re always welcome to come here… no matter what… and, if I’m not home, you could wait on the balcony… I’ll be sure to have supplies outside if you ever need them. If I am home… just knock on the skyroof window.” She smiled. Tears started to form in his eyes  
“Princess… what did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?” His smile was genuine and his tears were full of joy.  
They spent the remainder of the day together until about 5pm, when Chat’s ring started beeping, signaling that there time together had come to an end. They bid their farewells and Chat jumped out into the Parisian clear skies. Mari closed the windows behind him and walked away humming Someday My Prince Will Come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... yeah... I have been waiting for the right time for this chapter, & I'm pretty sure this is it.  
> okay, just so you know, I'm Wishing/One Song, Juuuust so happens to be one of my all time FAVORITE Disney songs, like, I sing it all the time (the Snow White part... without the echos), I absolutely LOVE it, and (yes, I know it's unrealistic, but I can dream, right?) I'm still waiting for that handsome someone to come up and finish the duet... I LOVE romance and honestly, that may be one of the most romantic things anyone could do for me... and I mean... this story is Snow White... OF COURSE they were going to sing one of the BEST songs in the movie... I'd kinda already had it planned when I decided to use Snow White in this story...  
> Don't worry, more is yet to come ;)  
> Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!! for all of your comments and support.... I feel so loved (still waiting on my Prince though :P )  
> Comment, comment, Comment!!!!  
> Love yal <3


	9. Chapter 9

Plagg had been chewing him out for the last 3 hours “… ‘that’s it Mari, we’re getting married’… ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING? YOU KNOW SHE HAS A CRUSH ON YOU, WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! I mean, i know i love Camembert, but i would NEVER tell a girl we were getting married just to eat it everyday” Adrien sighed  
“First off… she has a crush on Adrien, not Chat… second, she knew I was kidding, heck, she joked right back... besides… why does it matter what we joke about? We’re friends-”  
“Yes. You’re friends… BUT… you do realize what exactly you sang back your her, right?” Adrien hung his head “ONE love… you called her your ONE love…”  
“Don’t be ridiculous, I was just finishing-”  
“Didn’t you specifically learn that song to impress a certain someone?”  
“…myLady” Adrien mumbled  
“And yet… you sang it for Marinette… doesn’t that tell you anything?”  
“I-i-it didn’t MEAN anything… I-i was just-”  
“Did you learn it for it to mean something?”  
“Well… yes…”  
“Then obviously it did… heck Kid… you KISSED HER HAND… did you NOT see the blush on her cheeks? Or hear her catch her breath? Or notice how her eyes become as wide as a wheel of cheese? Whether you meant to or not, you didn’t just sing to her… you sang TO her, whether wanted or not, you touched her heart, and now… she’s going to be all confused about having feelings for TWO boys… or at least, that’s what she thinks… its going to break her heart… tear her apart… you’re literally HURTING the girl… and you’re OKAY with that?” Plagg interrupted  
“Of course not!"Adrien flared back "why in the world would I want to hurt her? She’s my best friend… If anything, it’s the total opposite… I want to PROTECT her, keep her safe, never let ANYONE hurt her, destroy anyone who DARES touch her, and shatter anyone who even CONSIDERS making her cry!” He was furious, there was a fire in his eye he’d never had before as he thought about her beautiful smile being wiped away from heartbreak   
“… why?”Plagg asked after a few seconds  
“What?” Adrien was taken aback by the question. Plagg sighed   
“Kid… she’s not yours… I get that a friend wouldn’t want another friend to get hurt… but… seriously? You’d destroy them?… now I may not be an expert on humans, I mean, I am only 3000 years old” he rolled his eyes “but… isn’t that something a suitor would say?” Plagg floated up to look at the boy’s face, who currently was trying to hide his embarrassment. Plagg sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose “do you love her?”  
“I love Ladybug” Adrien replied solomnly without looking up. Plagg shook his head  
“That’s not what I asked… do you, Adrien Agreste, love Marinette?” Adrien tried to hide the blush that had started to grow on his cheeks  
“N-no, it's just.. I mean I-i…” he stammered  
“Look Kid, your going to have to figure this out… even if she doesn’t know you’re you, you do, and honestly, I hate seeing my Kittens hurt, which is exactly what’s going to happen if you don’t figure this out… trust me, I’ve seen it countless times before…” Adrien didn’t say a word, he just stood there, head down, thinking over what Plagg had just said. “You don’t have to decide right now, but… you need to figure this out soon. I’m going to bed… and don’t even think about waking me up to transform tonight unless there’s an Akuma… you visited with her all day… let me, and HER, sleep… night”

“Chats great, isn’t he Tikki?” Marinette sighed as she worked on her design  
“Oh, really? Got a crush?” Tikki smirked. Mari turned her head  
“Wh-what?! N-No! Wh-what would make you think that?!” She stammered. Tikki giggled   
“Relax Marinette, I’m just teasing” Mari let out a long sigh  
“Don’t say ridiculous things like that… I mean, even if we did tease each other this morning, it was just playful bantering… he’d never think of me that way…” she sighed. Tikki floated over to her charge and sat in the girls waiting hand. Marinette took another deep breath “look… we’re just friends, that’s all… besides… I love Adrien, and Chat loves…” Mari trailed off  
“You” Tikki finished  
“No… he… h-he loves... Ladybug” no, he hadn’t said anything yet, she just needed someone for him to love for arguments sake, and Ladybug was the first to come to mind. Although in reality she seriously doubted that it could possibly be true, she felt her stomach do a flip at the thought of him actually confessing, she shook her head at the thought… 'like that could really happen’  
“But Marinette… you ARE Ladybug”  
“But he doesn’t know that” she hangs her head “honestly… I don’t even know if he even thinks about Ladybug that way… he’s such a flirt, I mean… he finished my song… how much more corny can you get?” She forced a laugh. “Besides… if he ever did find out the truth…I’m sure he’d be so disappointed that it’s me... that he’ll never want to... see me... *sniff* again” her forced laughter had turned into falling tears.  
“Oh Marinette” Tikki floated up to her charges cheek to give her a hug “you know that’s not true” she tried to comfort the girl “you’re his friend… how could he ever be disappointed?”  
“But… but *sniff* what if he is? He’s my best friend… I don’t want to lose him… I won’t lose him… no matter what…”  
“But Marinette-”  
“I know Adrien’s in love with someone else…” Mari interrupted “but honestly, I think I’d have a better chance with him than with Chat… besides… I love Adrien… that’s not something that can change so easily… even if it hurts, I love him. I want to be there for him, give him advice, be his shoulder to cry on, make him laugh, encourage him-”  
“But Marinette” Tikki interrupted “don’t you already do that?” This caught the girl off guard… she does, doesn’t she? For the past few weeks at least, he’s come to her… HER… not Nino, not Alya, not even Chloe… he came to HER, Marinette, for advice and to talk, he asked HER what to do, showed HER his most vulnerable, and… offered to stop talking when he saw she was trying to fight back tears… her heart skipped at the memory. She shook her head to clear her thoughts  
“But… I want more… I love him, and… even if it makes me blush like crazy to even think about it, I-i, I w-want t-to… to…”  
“You want to…?” Tikki encouraged  
“T-t-to… k-kiss him, and h-hug him, and… hold him, and… have him hold me… I want to go on dates with him, and, maybe, someday, become something more… but Chat… i… i don’t want that with him”  
“But, Mari… haven’t you already kissed Chat Noir?” Mari blushed at the memory of Ladybug kissing Chat to save him from Dark Cupid “th-that was only to save him… and   
I… he was under a spell, what was i supposed to do? Let him fight me? I did what i had to do… i-its not like i w-wanted to kiss him… i didn’t… I don’t… n-not with Chat… he’s… he’s just a friend… my best friend, I just did what I had to to save him, but Adrien… him i wouldn’t mind kissing…” Marinette sighed dreamily as she gazed off to the side  
“Oh Mari” Tikki smiled “I’m sure your dream will come true, just… don’t push Chat awa-”  
“Oh Tikki, I could never push Chat away… believe me, I’ve tried” Mari winked “that cat just won’t leave me be… as Ladybug, OR as Marinette” Tikki giggled and smiled  
“Okay Marinette. Point taken. Now, you know, just because your parents are not home doesn’t mean you should stay up all night… so common, let’s put that down” Tikki floated to Mari’s hand and guided it to sit down the needle and thread she’d been holding “and go to bed” she then proceeded to pull the same hand towards the high bed. Marinette laughed  
“Okay Tikki, I get the hint…” she climbed into her bed and tucked herself in “goodnight Tikki”  
“Goodnight Marinette”

It was Sunday… 9am… and her phone was ringing… and ringing… and ringing… Marinette groaned as she answered her phone without opening her eyes “Alya, unless there’s currently an Akuma attack, you had better have a pretty good reason for calling me at 9 in the morning on a Sunday”  
“Uh… Marinette?” Marinette sleepily blinked, that wasn't Alya's voice (recognition in 3... 2...)  
“A-ADRIEN!” Marinette sprung up in bed, instantly awake “Wh-what are you doing here?”  
“Um… I’m sorry?”  
“I mean, why are you calling here, I-i mean me, I mean… what’s up?” 'Yeah, brilliant, nice save Marinette’ she rolled her eyes at her inner sarcasm   
“Oh, uh… not much… you?”  
“Not much… just waking up”  
“Wait… did I wake you? I am so sorry Marinette, i know you may have had a long night, see, I was trying to call Nino, and your name is right below his, so I guess I accidentally called you by mistake… my bad”  
'Wait, how does he know I had a long night?’ “Oh, uh… yeah, no problem. I needed to be waking up anyway” Adrien giggled at the sound of her moaning as she stretched  
“So, uh… just curious… what did you mean by 'unless there’s an Akuma attack’?” she froze mid stretch  
“Oh, uh… that, well uh…”  
“What, are you secretly helping Alya gather information on Ladybug and Chat Noir?” She could hear the smirk in his voice  
“What?! No! I mean… usually she just calls me and tells me when there’s an attack, and I just… hide… besides… Alya’s always alone gathering that information, i can’t think of a single other who might be brave enough to join her…”  
“Oh… I see… so, you don’t help her at all? Not even with the blog?”  
“To be honest, I hardly have time to even read the blog… I really should make more time, if for nothing else, then for Alya, she IS my best friend after all, but there’s just SOOO much going on, I hardly have time”  
“But you ARE a fan… right?”  
“Well, sure, yeah, I guess you could say that…”  
“Hey, you’re an artist, right? Do you think you could possibly draw me a LadyNoir picture?”  
“A What?!”  
“LadyNoir… you know, Ladybug and Chat Noir… it’s a shipping name”  
“A shpping name... of course... what else will they- Wait. .. you Ship THEM?!”  
“Well, I mean… yeah, kinda… I mean, it’s kinda obvious Chat has a thing for her, wouldn’t you say?” Marinette burst into laughter “um… Marinette?”   
“I’m… I’m sorry, it’s just… I cant… it’s just too funny”  
“What’s so funny about it?” He sounded hurt  
“You actually think Chat Noir has a thing for Ladybug?”  
“Well, yeah, I-i do, I mean… isn’t it obvious? He calls her My Lady, kisses her hand, tries to make her laugh with those awesome puns, and-”  
“Chats just a big flirt” Marinette interrupted “he’s like that with everyo-”  
“No he isn’t!”  
“Yes he is… you forget… he’s saved me twice, and both times, he tried to flirt with me… he called me Little Lady, and held me just a little too close when we had to escape the trap box from Evillustrator.” 'Not to mention he calls me Princess, comes over almost every night, AND he went and finished my song yesterday… and that’s not even touching the kitchen teasing’ she thought to herself   
“But… isn’t that what friends do?”  
“Not normally… usually friends don’t just flirt with each other… but with Chat… that’s just Chat… Ladybug understands, and yes, she plays along, if for nothing else, then to just see if she can make him blush” she giggled “he really is kinda cute when his face is all red”  
“O-oh” they were both silent for a few minutes, Marinette still giggling inside at the thought of Chat turning red as a tomato, while Adrien was just glad that Mari couldn’t see HIM turning as red as a tomato “so…”  
“So, did you talk to that girl?” The question surprised the boy  
“What?”  
“You seemed uncomfortable, so I changed the subject… the girl you mentioned before… did you… did you talk to her?” Adrien sighed  
“I… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable…”  
“Adrien, I asked…” there was a pause as Adrien debated as to whether or not to talk to her… Plagg’s words running in the back of his mind… he caved  
“I saw her a few days ago, but…”  
“But?”  
“But… I didn’t tell her”  
“Well, why not?”  
“Because… she just… she makes me so nervous, my mouth dries up, my palms get sweaty, I can never say how I really feel about her…”  
“Icanrelate” Mari mumbles. She blushes as she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. Adrien cleared his throat   
“Anyway…”  
“What about the other girl?”  
“I-i dont really want to talk about it…” 'honestly, I was hoping you’d forget about her’ Adrien thought to himself   
“Adrien… how am I supposed to help you if you won’t tell me?”  
'That’s the idea’ “I don’t want to upset you again”  
“Adrien…”  
“Last time you cried… it’s really nothing” 'please let it go’  
“Adrien…”  
'She’s really not going to let this go’ “so how was your day yesterday?”  
“Adrien, don’t try to change the subject… I’m fine… I asked you, remember?”  
'Shes so persistent… this is already confusing enough as it is’ “it’s confusing…”  
“What happened?” Adrien sighed in defeat  
“See… my partner and I… we saw this movie the other day, and I learned one of the best parts to maybe try and impress her…”  
“Did she not like it?”  
“She never heard it”  
“What? Why not?”  
'Well, let’s see, I don’t know, maybe because you just happen to have that part memorized by heart, and I couldn’t stop myself from being included, so now since I sang it to you, I couldn’t possibly bring myself to sing it for My Lady… I could never tell her that… she can’t know it’s me… I have to be careful here… I can’t lie to her, but I can’t give the whole truth… think Adrien…’ “I… I overheard the other girl quoting the same part, and… I couldn’t stop myself… I joined in, quoting the part I had learned, and now… I don’t think I could bring myself say it in front of my partner”  
“Well, why not?”  
“Because… it was kinda his only line, and it was kinda romantic, and now…”  
“Oh”  
“Yeah…”  
“I… I guess I can see how that’d be a little awkward… I guess…” 'believe me... I know how it feels... looks like he and Chat may be in the same boat'  
“Yeah and that’s the males only line, so… yeah”  
“Well… did you mean it?”  
“What?”  
“With the other girl… you said you finished the lines… did you mean it when you said it? Like you would with your partner?”  
“I… I was just kinda, you know, going with the motion…”  
“I see… did you portray that you meant it?” Adrien sighed   
“Marinette… I was in character… there was no one else around to do it, and I didn’t want her hanging on the end like that… yes, I may have, possibly, gotten a little too into character… yes, we may have spent the whole day together after that, but… we’re just friends… she knows that, besides, I don’t think she’d ever really think of me that way…”  
“Adrien-”  
“Enough about me, how’s your day going so far?” He was trying to change the subject… point taken  
“Well… I was sleeping quite soundly until my phone so rudely went off and woke me” she teased  
“Sorry” Marinette giggled  
“It’s okay… yesterday however was actually quite fun”  
'Mari, I was trying to get away from yesterday… oh well’ Adrien inwardly sighed “oh yeah?”   
“Yeah. A close friend stopped by, we hung out for a few hours”  
'hmm, maybe having her take on the whole ordeal could have some insight' “Fun… anyone I know?”  
“No, I don’t think so… he’s kinda socially awkward”  
“Hey!” Mari laughed “he can’t have been that bad”  
“He’s better when it’s just us… I mean, yeah, he’s a show off, and a giant flirt, sure, he tells the corniest jokes-”  
“We get it” 'uh, ouch... they're not THAT bad'  
“But he’s really not that bad… actually… he’s my best friend, we can joke with each other, laugh and cry together, we’re honest with each other… he knows the real me… heck, he probably knows me better than Alya… oh, don’t tell her okay?”  
“My lips are sealed” Adrien smiled “so, what’d ya do?”  
“Oh, well… he surprised me by serenading me, then we ate, played some video games, joked around and talked… he even helped me with my script and another project… he really is one of the best friends I could ever have…”  
“Do you love him?” The question shocked them both. Mari stiffened, her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped  
“What?” 'WHERE did THAT come from?!' Marinette inwardly panicked  
“What?” 'what did I just say?'  
“I asked you first… what do you mean… do I LOVE him?”  
“I-i don’t know” the boy stammered 'why would I ask her that?’ “I-i guess… your really talking this guy up, I guess I just thought…" ’WHY is my heart pounding so fast?' "maybe you have a crush on him?” 'I couldn’t possibly WANT her to have a crush on me… right? No... I'm trying to get her AWAY from crushing on me... I don't want to hurt her... WHAT AM I DOING?!’  
“I-i… n-no.”  
“No?”  
“He’s just a friend Adrien, a really good friend, but still just a friend. I mean… sure, he’s a flirt, but, he’s like that with every girl he meets”  
'How can she say that? I do not flirt with EVERY girl I meet… she’s never even SEEN Chat with another girl… how can she possibly think that?’ “I’m sure it’s not EVERY girl…”  
“Believe me Adrien, he does”  
“Well, what do you consider flirting?” 'Am I really having this conversation with her?’  
“W-well…” Marinette shifted in her bed, switching the phone from one ear to the other as a blush began to flood her face “h-he teases me sometimes, like… yesterday, I made him something he’d never had before, and he proclaimed that we were getting married so he could have some every morning," 'and I told him I want to wake up to his singing everyday' "and before that he finished a duet I was singing to myself… he just, popped up out of nowhere and started singing the second half…" 'he has the worlds BEST singing voice' "he kissed my hand… it was kinda sweet” Mari pushed her hair behind her ear again as she released a small sigh  
“Oh.. … y-yeah?” Adrien cleared his throat “y-you… you like him then… right?” Marinette fell back on her pillow  
“I... no, Adrien, I told you… we’re friends… he may be a flirt, but he doesn’t mean any of it… that’s just Cha-ye-I mean, th-thats just HIM being him… besides… why would he go for a girl like me? I’m simple, plain, ordinary, weak, shy-”  
“Marinette what are you talking about? Why wouldn’t he go for someone like you?” 'What am I saying?’ “I mean, your smart, pretty, talented, strong,” 'don’t say it’ “beautiful,” 'dag nabbit’ “you stand up for others, you’re a great leader… what’s there not to like?” 'Adrien Agreste, what are you doing?’ “I mean, you said he sang to you, right?” 'What am I doing?’ “What if… what if he DID mean the words he sang?” 'Stop’ “I mean, he obviously knew what he was doing, right?” 'Stop!’ “I mean, common, he makes the time to see you like that, and you can really question his loyalty?” 'STOP NOW!’ “it’s obvious that this guy may like you Marinette” 'Plagg’s gonna kill me’ “would it’s really be so bad if he really DID mean every, single, word for his part of the song?” 'He’s going to murder me in my sleep’ “I mean… what if he DID, you know, more than like you?” 'That’s if I don’t kill myself first’  
Marinette was speechless… 'he called me beautiful, and pretty, and smart, and brave… and now, he's trying to make it sound like Chat could possibly be in lo-' “I-i don’t think so A-Adrien, but… thanks for trying”  
“Oh common, what’s it going to take to convince you that his feelings are true?” He really didn’t know why her denial hurt him like this, irritating him so much, he honestly didn’t even know WHY he wanted an answer SO bad… he was in love with Ladybug, so… why did he WANT Marinette to LIKE him?  
“I… l-look Adrien, i…" 'if he keeps talking like this, I... might start to believe him' "I really have to go…" 'I can't do this anymore' "Alya’ll be coming over soon and I still have to get ready, plus, we’ve been on the phone for over an hour…I’ll talk to you tomorrow… ”  
“Oh… yeah, sure” Adrien deflated… why was no answer such a disappointment? “See ya”  
“See ya” Marinette hung up the phone and let out a loud sigh as she fell against her pillow again. A few minutes later she heard the rattling of knocking against her front door. After making sure Tikki was safe with a large stack of cookies, Mari went down to let her best friend in for their well planned girls-day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SSOOOOOOOOOO sorry it's taken so long... please forgive me... My phone is being a butt and last night, even refused to charge, and, that's what I actually use to write these chapters, then I upload them to Tumblr, then I add them on here... I know... it's a process, but it works for me :)  
> anyway, chapter 10 is on the ball, and since you all have been good and patient, I'll give you a hint as to what it contains... one word... Ladrien
> 
> as always... COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT!!!!  
> Luv yal ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Ladybug had been jumping through Paris for 2 hours now…. it was her last night home alone and after Alya had left, she decided she needed to clear her head. She still couldn’t get her conversation with Adrien out of her head and it was driving her crazy, but…no… nonononono NO… she does NOT have a crush on her partner ‘I love Adrien…. ADRIEN! I! LOVE! ADRIEN!!! I DO NOT, CANNOT, WILL NOT, LOVE CHAT!!!’ Why does it feel like she’s trying to convince herself all of the sudden “GHAH!!!” She yelled out in frustration as she threw her yoyo to jump over a large gap between two buildings “WHY does this have to be so CONFUSING?! Why is this so HARD?!” She kept jumping, not paying much attention, just letting her feet lead the way. She landed on a tall fence post and stopped to catch her breath  
“L-Ladybug?” She spun around to see Adrien, in his PJ’s, looking up at her, wide eyed and jaw dropped “what are you doing out so late? Didn’t Chat Noir all ready take patrol?”  
“A-Adrien…” 'of course… where else would I end up?’ She inwardly rolled her eyes “hi… I uh… I just… *sigh* I just… needed to clear my head…”  
“Rough day?”  
“more like rough week…” she rubbed the back of her neck  
“What happened?” he looked genuely concerned. Ladybug looked at him, then sighed “you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but… if you need someone, I’m here…we could even go sit in my father’s garden if it’d make you feel better… I know how much you like flowers” Ladybug smiled, nodded, and jumped down, landing in front of the boy. Then the two walked over to the half-height garden maze and began their midnight stroll  
“Thanks Adrien, you were right, these flowers do make me feel a little better” she smiles as she stopped to smell a particular rose  
“What’s wrong?” Adrien asked with a frown as he walked up beside her   
'I… sh-should I tell him?’  
“Common, you can tell me”  
'But it’s ABOUT you’  
“I promise I won’t tell… or judge… no matter what”  
'You’re making this really hard to deny you right now’  
“Please?” Ladybug stared for a few seconds longer, then gave a sigh in defeat  
“Okay” 'great… now how am I going to get out of this one?… okay, he doesn’t know I’m Marinette, just avoid specifics and it should be fine… no names, no details…’ “so… I’ve been in love with this boy I know, since like, the first day we met, and, I want to tell him but he’s in love with someone else, so… now I’m all confused because HE thinks this other guy I know has a crush on me, and he’s all like 'why wouldn’t he like you?’ & I’m just sitting there thinking, 'oh, I don’t know, why don’t you?' Then he’s trying to talk this other guy up, and I swear I just want to reach through the phone and cover his mouth, and NOW I’m questioning myself, questioning him, AND questioning HIM, and now I’m just so lost and confused and there’s just no way this other guy could actually LIKE me, I mean, yeah we tease each other, but he only sees me as a friend, I only see him as a friend, and yet the guy I like is so clueless and blind, like, seriously, WHY can’t he just see me… I love him so much, i-i even tried helping him with HIS crush, but I mean… can he really not see how much he actually means to me? How much it hurts me to even think of him with another girl? But now he’s putting these ideas of this other guy liking me in my head, and, I mean, I know he flirts with me, but… he literally does that with everyone… that’s just him being him… there’s no way he actually loves me, honestly, I don’t know if he could ever really be serious about anyone... especially me, but that’s okay, I mean, that’s what makes him, him… you know?”  
“I uh… I see… so, you uh… you… love someone else?”  
“What do you mean 'someone else’?”  
“Well, it’s just… w-what about Chat?” Ladybug looked shocked at the question   
“Wh-what about him?” She blushed. Adrien scratched the back of his neck nervously  
“Well… I mean, he loves you, doesn’t he?” Ladybug looked to the ground   
“Whydoeseveryonethinkthat?” She mumbled, averting her eyes to anywhere but him  
“But… isn’t it obvious? I mean…”  
“What? He flirts with me? How many times do I have to say it… he flirts with EVERY girl… that’s just Chat, he doesn’t mean it, it’s just teasing-”  
“Stop. You’re wrong. YOU are the ONLY girl he flirts with-”  
“Oh really? That’s kinda hard to believe when he goes around visiting girls after patrols” Adrien’s face paled as his eyes grew “yeah, he thinks I don’t know, but I do… and i know for a fact that he goes to the Dupain-Cheng bakery every night… he sneaks onto her balcony, taps at her window, teases her, flirts with her, and sings to her… no telling how many other girls he visits a night… hey, are you okay?” She finally notices that the boy looks about 2 seconds away from a panic attack   
'she's the only one' “They’re… th-they’re just friends though… right?” Ladybug smirked  
“What? You jealous?”  
“What? NO! I mean…it’s just… he loves you Ladybug, I mean… he calls you his Lady-”  
“Yes, and he calls HER Princess, and HIMSELF her knight” she retorted with her arms crossed. He gulped  
“H-how much do you know?”  
“Everything. I know he waits for her parents to go to bed before coming over, i know he teases her like he does me, i know he kisses her hand, I know that he’s gotten into her things when she wasn’t home that one time he came over, AND I know that he sang to her just yesterday morning” He wanted to faint. He wanted the ground to just open up and swallow him whole. He couldn’t take it. His palms were sweaty, his throat was dry, his legs were both stiff and wobbly at the same time… he couldn’t move, he couldn’t even breathe… she knew… SHE KNEW “but, it’s like you said… they’re just friends, and if it were any other citizen, I would pound him in so hard for putting them in potential danger by going to them transformed, but… she’s strong, stronger than you know, she can take care of herself, plus… she and you are the only ones of your class to NOT be Akumatized, right?”  
“Uh… y-yeah... now that you mention it…”  
“Listen… thanks for letting me talk, I but I should be-”  
“What about Chat? And, uh… M-Marinette?”  
“Oh, well…” 'how should I put this’ “I suppose as long as he doesn’t put her in danger, it should be fine for him to visit her, Oh… y-you can’t tell ANYONE about this, got it? Not even Marinette. I'm sorry for putting you in this position, but...”  
“No worries, my lips are sealed my Lad-e-I mean, Ladybug… my lips are sealed” Ladybug let out a breath  
“Good.”  
“Did it… *gulp* did, talking… help?” She looked at him and gave a sad smile  
“Unfortunately… no, not really, but… it was nice talking to you… I really should be heading out, I need to be back before my parents… not to mention, there’s school tomorrow” she pulled out her yoyo and jumped back onto the fence post  
“Wait, you go to school? Which one?” he ran to the fence looking up at the Parisian heroine  
“That, I’m afraid, I can’t tell you, I’ll give you a hint though…” she used her yoyo to keep her balance and leaned in to whisper in his ear “it’s in Paris” Adrien felt a chill run down his spine as he felt his face catch fire when her breath touched his ear. She giggled and straightened back up “good night Adrien…. sleep well” and with that she threw her yoyo and was off. Adrien clung to the fence, watching her until he couldn’t see her  
“Good night my Lady, until we meet again.”

The next day Marinette showed up early to class again. Upon seeing this Alya stopped and started scanning the air “um, Alya… what are you doing?”   
“Looking for the flying pigs” she stated while still looking around   
“Ha ha, very funny… I told you, the closer it gets to Summer, the easier it is for me to wake up early” Mari smirked. Alya finally took her seat and the two began talking about their planned days, they said a quick hello to the boys when they finally arrived, then the bell rang for class to begin. 

“-And finally, are there any volunteers to stay over and clean the board? We really only need one person” the teacher looked around the class until she landed on the only hand that had been raised “Ah, Marinette, thank you. You may eat your lunch in here if you’d like, the board shouldn’t take that long to clean. Everyone else, I’ll see you tomorrow. Class dismissed.”

Marinette knew that her parents would be suffering from jet lag for the rest of the day (they had gotten home not too long after she had), so she decided to pack her lunch today. She pulled out her meal and sat in the empty classroom… although she LOVES having lunch with her friends, today she just wanted to have just a little quiet for herself. She finished her lunch, gave Tikki a small stack of cookies, then got busy cleaning the board with the already prepared rag, bucket and spray. She cleaned in silence, not a word was heard, she let her mind wonder, trying to decide between a Prince and a Knight. She compared the differences and similarities, then she started thinking about which one she’d like better if she had to choose, or rather… which one would come to her rescue, HER rescue, Marinette’s if it was ever needed, the Prince was kind and gentle and loyal, the Knight was loyal, brave, strong… of course he’d rescue Ladybug… she was his partner after all, but… would he save Marinette? She wondered… she knew Adrien probably would, heck, he’d probably even try to save Chloe if needed, but… 'I wonder'  
“I wonder” she began to sing out loud “I wonder”…

Adrien had just finished fencing practice and was on his way to his locker to grab his lunch “CHEEEEESE!!!” Plagg whined  
“Look, you can eat when we get their, alright? But if we don’t hurry, we’ll completely miss-”  
“I wonder…”  
“Did you hear that?” Adrien spun his head around. Plagg was not pleased with that look  
“Oh no you don’t… you promised me I could eat, now let’s go before it gets warm”  
“… I wonder…” Adrien silently opened his lunch pack, signaling for the Kawamii to hide. Plagg let out a huff, then he floated into the bag and shut the lid. Adrien began walking to follow the sound “…I wonder, why each, little bird, has a someone…” he fastened his pace, recognizing the voice, knowing just which room to go to “… to sing too…” he rounded the corner and headed down the hall “… sweet things too…” she was singing again, and he did NOT want to miss it “… a gay little lark melody…” he was close “… I wonder…” he was so close “… I wonder…” THERE’S THE DOOR “… if my heart keeps singing, will my song go ringing…” he stops, having his heart suddenly leap into his throat “… to someone…” sweaty hands grab the knob, slowly, quietly, turning it “… who’ll find me…” he gently pushes the door forward “… and bring back a love song…” he can see her profile now, she’s walking around with her eyes half closed, a sweet blush on her cheeks, she looks as if she’d just finished dancing… or, you know, any strenuous activity that could stretch her limits… cleaning the boards top for example “… Tooo, Meeeeeeee” she sighs, then giggles “Oh Tikki, I wish it were that simple, but-”  
“Who’s Tikki?” Marinette spun around to find Adrien looking around the room, as if, to make sure she really was alone   
“A-ADRIEN!!!” 'CODE RED!!! CODE RED!!! ADRIEN IN THE ROOM!!! CODE RED!!!’ “Wha-um-wh-what are you doing here?”  
“Oh, uh, yeah, about that…” he scratched the back of his neck “I kinda heard you singing and wanted to see for myself” he smiled sheepishly. Marinette’s face grew bright red  
“You… y-you heard that?” She asked as she played with her fingers  
“Yeah. But, don’t worry… I’m pretty sure we’re the only 2 in the building, which brings me back to my previous question… who’s Tikki?” And suddenly bright red became sickly pale   
“Oh, um… Tikki, she’s um…” 'think Marinette think!’ “My uh… imaginary… friend?” Well… he looked shocked, then he burst into laughter “it’s not funny”  
“Im… I’m sorry Marinette… it’s just…” he tried to catch his breath “an… an imaginary friend? Why would you need one of those? Everyone loves you Mari, you have all these real friends, why do you need an imaginary one?” He smiled genuinely   
“First off, she was one of my first real friends ever, and second I’m not going to abandon her just because the kids in my class actually notice me… I could never do that to her… she was my first best friend ever, even before Alya, Tikki… she’s like the big sister I’ve never had… I could NEVER abandon her…”  
'Wow, she’s even loyal to those she made up… she really is something’ Adrien placed a hand on her shoulder “don’t worry Mari, I won’t tell anyone… so… what does she look like?”  
“What?”  
“Well, you said she was imaginary, right? When I was a kid, all my imaginary friends looked like aliens from another galaxy” he winked at her, causing her to giggle  
“Oh, well… she’s…” 'don’t give too much away Mari… even if he thinks it’s just your imagination, and you give detailed information, and he doesn’t realize she’s actually real… better safe than sorry’ “small”  
“Small?”  
“Yeah, like… she can sit it the palm of my hand, and she’s red, with a black dot on her head, and she can fly, well, that is, she can float, she doesn’t have wings, she’s a Kawamii” Adrien looked shocked as Marinette inwardly banged her head against a wall 'shoot… I should not have said that’  
“A-a Kawamii? You mean like Ladybug and Chat Noir?” 'WHERE DID SHE COME UP WITH THAT?! DOES… She can’t POSSIBLY BE that big a fan, CAN SHE?!’  
“Oh, uh…” 'ABORT, ABORT, GET OUT OF HERE!!! RUN!!!’ “I uh… read about it on the Ladyblog… yeah, and…” 'thank you Alya’ “I thought they sounded interesting… besides, magical little creatures that help Chat and Ladybug… I’d say that falls more into the hypothesis title than fact” 'let's hope he buys it'  
“Yeah, I guess” 'the Ladyblog... I should have known, well… at least the secrets safe… still… better keep an eye on her... and double check the Ladyblog when I get home’ “so.. that song you were singing… what was it?”  
“Hmm? Oh, uh, just, just an old Disney song that’d popped into my head”  
“It was pretty”  
“It’s Sleeping Beauty”  
“No… I meant your voice… it's very pretty... ever thought of going pro?”  
“Oh, uh… n-no, I uh, get horrible stage freight, so, uh… yeah”  
“But you’re amazing Marinette, I bet you could be bigger than Jagged Stone if you tried”  
“Dethrone my idol? I’m good, but thanks for the offer” she grinned. Just then the bell rang  
“Well, I gotta go, but seriously, think about it, okay?” they bid their goodbyes and Adrien went walking to his next class. He was the first one there so he sat down to wait, then he pulled up his lunch bag, opened the lid, and…  
*BURP!!!*  
“Ugh, Plagg”  
“What? You were taking ForEvEr, I was hungry” Adrien’s eyes widened as he turned quickly to look into his lunch bag and found… it was completely empty “and Kid… props to the Chef, that tuna queesh was quite delicious” Adrien went to grab the little floating creature of destruction “What?”  
“You ate my lunch!”  
“Well you were taking too long! it was going to get cold-’  
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COLD!”  
“Then it was going to get warm… why are you complaining? I didn’t eat everything”   
“You left me a single piece of cheese” Adrien states as he pulls out a small piece of Camembert. He pinches the brim of his nose “Plagg this was YOUR lunch, the queesh was mine… I can’t eat this”  
“Picky, picky, you know what? Some kids are literally STARVING, and you’re upset because you didn’t get your precious queesh? I must say, Adrien, I’m disappointed… just eat the cheese already”  
“Plagg… do you remember what happened the LAST time I tried to eat your smelly cheese?”  
“Soooo you got so sick we had to leave your photo shoot, and you had to be stuck in bed for an entire week, missing school and other shoots in the process… at least you got some well needed rest… no biggy”   
“Plagg, while I appreciate the concern for my rest intake… I puked on my father… the one time he actually shows up, and I get sick on him… if you think I’m gonna chance anything like that ever happening again, you’re sadly mistaken”  
“Well… if you insist” Plagg zoomed up, grabbed the cheese and zoomed into the lunch bag, lid closing with the slight wind  
“Plagg!” Just then the bell rang and the rest of the class came piling in.

Marinette had just come upstairs from supper after helping in the bakery since she had gotten home from school, when who should be waiting but... “Chat? What are you Doing Here?”  
“Oh, hey Princess" he waved "me and Tikki were just talking about how you should really consider more green in your room” he smirked while cupping his hand it the air. Marinette paled  
“Tikki?”  
“You know, she really is quite small… can fit in the palm of your hand and everything…” he turned to face her showing in his hand… nothing. Just then Marinette felt Tikki tap her from inside her coat pocket… she was safe  
“Chat? What are you talking about?” she threw her hands on her hips as she smirked  
“I happened to over hear a certain conversation between you and model boy… imaginary friend, huh?”  
“Oh, i-uh, Wait…. were you SPYING on ME?”  
“No! I swear!” He held up his hands defensively “I just happened to hear your singing and didn’t want to miss the show, that’s all, then you started talking about your imaginary friend, and how cute she was, but then… you called her a Kawamii… I’m sorry, but, I had to be sure… I checked all over the Ladyblog, so… where did you hear that word?” He took a step towards her  
“I-uh…” she took a step back “I… I can’t tell you” Chat frowned   
“Princess, I’m being serious here… I know you’re a fan, but there are certain things Ladybug and I keep secret for a reason… Kawamiis being one of them. *sigh* I don’t know how you heard about them, but yes… they very much are real, so, I’m sorry, but Tikki can’t be one… it’s too dangerous, even if she is just make believe… do you understand?” Marinette let out a breath she didn’t realize she had taken in  
“I understand.”  
“As for the boy, he promised not to say anything, I’ll make sure he sticks to his word. As far as everyone else is concerned, Kawamiis do not exist… got it?”  
“Yeah, I got it… why are you being so serious about this? Isn’t that Ladybug's forte ?” He laid his hand on her shoulder   
“If your knowledge ever got out, it could not only be a danger to myself and Ladybug, but also to you… Marinette, I don’t want to see you hurt…” his hand moved from her shoulder to her cheek “you mean too much”  
“Chat…” they stayed that way for the next few minutes, staring at each other, neither moving a muscle, until they both heard the grumble of a stomach “was that…?”  
“Sorry” he pulled his hand away to scratch his neck, the spot on her cheek where he had been holding instantly feeling cold with the lack of body heat “I wasn’t joking about Kawamiis, they are real, and mine just so happens to be a pig… he ate my lunch while I was talking with a friend today at school”  
“Oh… well… would you like something to eat? We have some Tuna casserole left over from supper”  
“Sure… if you’re offering”  
“I insist… wait here, I’ll be right back” a few minutes later, Marinette returned to find Chat still sitting where she’d left him. Impressed, she fed the boy while she went back to her desk. When he was done, he snuck up behind the girl and peeked over her shoulder   
“Whatchya drawing?”  
“A picture for a friend… he’s been down for a little while, and I thought I’d make him something to cheer him up, although, to be honest… he kinda asked me for it” she stated without looking up from her drawing   
“Can I watch?”  
“You’re already looking over my shoulder…”  
“But I’ve never seen you draw before”  
“Doesn’t mean you haven’t seen my drawings” she rolled her chair away from the desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out her drawing notebook. She held it in up for him to see, a slight smirk on her face “care to explain?”  
“Oh, uh.. h-hey, what’s that?” He grinned as he scratched the back of his neck nervously  
“Cut it out Chat, I already know you went through it” she folded her arms across her chest “mind telling me why?”  
“How did you know?”  
“I was out for the night, and when I came back, it was opened to a certain page I knew I hadn’t left it at… and my parents would never look through my things without asking… YOU are the only one who could have done it. Now answer… why?” Chat shifted from one foot to the other  
“I don’t know... I knew you’d never let me if you were home, and I love how creative you are, I just… wanted to see what you could do… you’re amazing Marinette, extremely talented, and overwhelmingly gifted… each drawing was done with such detail and passion… is there anything you CAN’T do?”  
“Ican'tbehonestwithmyself” she mumbled  
“What?” She knew he heard her, he was just asking what she meant… she took a deep breath in  
“Look… it’s confusing, okay? I… I love Adrien, that’s a fact, and I’m not sure it’ll ever change, but…”  
“But?” Chat looked on the edge of his seat 'what does she mean 'but'?'  
“Recently… I’ve… *sigh* I have this… partner, we’ll call him, and, recently, we’ve been getting pretty close… he’s a really good friend, very kind, and sweet… and, well… everyone says he likes me, but… I don’t know… I mean, he’s great, and true, and he helps me with my lines for the play, and makes me laugh…. but… why would he want me when he could have any girl he wants? But everyone keeps insisting that he likes me, and I mean LIKES me likes me, and now I’m all confused and, I feel like I’m drowning and can’t reach the surface… I’m so lost… I know I love Adrien… but… should I try to pursue this other guy? I mean, what if all his flirting really DIDN’T mean anything? I’d just get my heart broken and that’s something I don’t want, but lately it seems like along with dreams of Adrien, I’ve been having dreams about him as well… what do I do?” Inside, Chat exploded into countless emotions, including panic, hurt, sadness, anger, jealousy… but surprisingly, no relief or joy at the thought of her finding someone else so he wouldn’t hurt her, in fact, it was the complete opposite, he felt utterly betrayed. She says she loves him (well, Adrien) and yet, she would so willingly give her heart away to another? But… isn’t this what he wanted? Her to find someone who could love her like she deserves, so, why is there a raging fire filling his whole being as he goes through all the boys in their school in his head? No…he's decided... he doesn’t want to share her. Outside however…  
“Oh… I see… i… I don’t think you should give up on Adrien so easily”  
“I never said I was going to give up on him, but… seriously Chat, it’s been 2 years and he hasn’t even noticed… besides, he’s in love with somebody else… TWO somebodies actually… maybe, maybe it IS time that I just move on… I don’t want to get in his way…”  
“Is that how you think he sees you?” She looks up to him “Princess, you couldn’t be further from the truth… he loves you Marinette, it’s just-”  
“Just… not the same kind of love… I know… he loves me, but he’s not IN love with me… I think he sees me as more of a little sister than a potential girlfriend-”  
“Mari-” he rests his hand on her cheek  
“But it’s okay” she reaches up and lays her hand on top his, relaxing her cheek in his gloved palm, closing her eyes “I… I want him to be happy… no matter what… it’s because I love him that… that I have to try and let him go…” tears started to slide down her cheeks “I have to try… for him… so he can be happy...” he couldn’t help himself, he pulled her into a hug, holding her tight against himself… she lost it. She began to bawl into him, fists squeezing his suit, as her cries were only muffled but his chest. His chin rested atop her head, taking in every move, every tremble, every shake, and every near collapse the poor girl portrayed in her state of depression. He shifted his right hand to the crease of her knees and lifted her from the floor, holding her Princess-style, her arms raced to wrap around his neck as she just continued to cry, and cry, and cry, her face still buried in his chest, he rested his cheek on her head, softly humming a smooth melody his mother would sing to him to calm him down as a boy.  
'why Princess? How can you be so selfless? You willingly allow yourself to hurt just to know that I'm happy? But it pains me to see you cry, and I just want to hurt myself for hurting you so' he thought sadly as he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep in his arms. 'She looks so beautiful’ he thought  
'You know Kid, you have no right, YOU are the one to cause her so much trouble in the first place… you KNOW its selfish, YOU are the one making her cry… and yet, you SOMEHOW have the nerve to try and comfort her? Boy, I really know how to pick um…’ Plagg inwardly groaned 'you have no right Kid… what you’re doing is wrong… on so many levels… you said you WANTED her to find someone else, and yet, here you are… holding her like she’s the most delegate thing in the world…’ Adrien ignored the little voice in his head, which he knew belonged to Plagg, he called him Kid after all. He walked over to turn out the lights, then he walked her to her bed. He tucked her in and stood there for a moment longer, amazed at how the full moon’s rays beemed off of her sleeping face, giving her a slight glow effect.   
'She really is like an angel’ he leaned down, brushed her bangs out of the way, and kissed her forehead. When he pulled away, he saw that she was now smiling. He smiled back “Good night Princess” then he leapt outside, made sure to secure the window, and made his way home by rooftop. When he released transformation Plagg just floated in place, arms crossed, staring intently at his charge. “What?” Plagg sighed  
“Just go to bed Kid” then he floated off, leaving Adrien to wonder why he didn’t even ask for cheese.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... DOUBLE DIGITS BABAY!!!! YEAH!!!!  
> lol, so, yeah, 3 of the 4 of the square this chapter, don't worry though... LadyNoir next chapt.  
> speaking of which... I need you guy's help... It's Almost Akuma Time!!!! So... I need help...  
> The girls will be turned into princesses, but Chloe... I can't decide...
> 
> Aurora = she sleeps the entire attack, Daddy searches all over for Adrien to, *ehum* "break the curse"  
> Tiana = girl gets turned into a frog and squeals at how gross and slimy she is  
> Cinderella = She's dressed as a maid, and (magically) forced to go around cleaning everything in sight  
> Ariel = No voice!!! HALLELUJAH!!! Oh, and she may sprout a tail and be force to stay in a tub... or a dirty puddle ;)
> 
> LET THE VOTING BEGIN!!!
> 
> Again THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! <3  
> KEEP 'UM COMING!!!


	11. FairyGodmother part. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple things...  
> First... This chapter is dedicated to Whitebear-ofthe-Watertribe (author of A Brand New Dawn & Of Whispers and Moonlit Nights) and Portentous-offerings (AKA Dire, author of The Winter Coat & Marinette & Her Romeo) THANK YOU BOTH SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for ALL your help, and encouragement, and inspiration (this entire fic was actually inspired by Marinette & Her Romeo) I love you both so much... you guys rock <3  
> second...  
> HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY MIRACULOUS LADYBUG & CHAT NOIR (and in case you're wondering... yes... I did specifically wait for midnight to post this chapter ;) )  
> third...  
> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos so far, especially those who voted for which Princess Chloe should be... you guys REALLY helped... you all rock =^_^=  
> Anyway... without further ado... Let chapter 11 begin

It was Saturday, and the first dress rehearsal. Adrien arrived with minutes to spare. He raced through the locked up school, through the hallways and into the auditorium. “Made it!” He gasped out as he suddenly stopped beside Nino.  
“Dude, where you been? Everyone’s already getting into costume… you better hurry” he pushes the boy over to the coat rack of costumes. Once in costume, Chloe attacks him from behind, demanding that they go over their lines together. He’s looking over the script when he hears a sweet giggle… he knows that giggle… Chloe is still reciting her part, but he doesn’t hear a word… he’s glancing around, looking for the owner of the giggle, he spots her, she-  
“ADRIEN!” Chloe hits him on the shoulder with her book. He whips around “Finally… I’ve been calling. Your name, for, like, forever, it’s your turn to read” he hears the giggle again, he whips around noticing for the first time that she’s not alone… a fire burns from the inside  
“Sorry Chloe” he states seriously as he sits his book down without looking away from the giggling girl “there’s something I have to take care of real quick” he could hear her throwing her usual fit… he could hear her, but he didn’t care, all he cared about at the moment was that Marinette was down on her knees, helping Nathaniel with his Princes’ costume, while she giggled at something he said… Tomato-boy (as Adrien decided to call him) was blushing from head to toe as he looked down at the girl adjusting his suite… everyone knew he had a crush on Mari, even the girl herself…  
‘everyone says he likes me’... he paused in his steps… he couldn’t move… all he could do was watch the girl as she moved from his vest to his belt… she was smiling as she read her lines while working... 'he’s great, and true, and he helps me with my lines for the play’… tomato said something, she paused, looked up at him, and then burst into a fit of laughter... 'and makes me laugh’… Adrien could feel the jealousy building… there was no way…  
'There’s no way I pushed her into the arms of tomato head’ he started walking again, a little faster this time…

(A few hours earlier)  
“Tikki… I had the strangest dream last night… Chat was here, and, we were talking… I told him I was thinking about giving up on Adrien…”  
“Um, Marinette-”  
“But that’s crazy talk, I mean… like I could actually give up on him…”  
“Marinette-”  
“Then he started saying that I actually shouldn’t give up on him, but I said I was having feelings for someone else…” Tikki decided to just let the girl rant… it was obvious she was on a roll and wouldn’t stop until the “dream” was over “then I started describing Chat… to CHAT! Like I have feelings for him or something… then I felt so confused and started crying because I was looking at Chat, and thinking about Adrien… and Chat… trying to compare them or something, can you believe that? Comparing dream boy to tease boy?” Tikki sighed “but the thing is… even though he was telling me not to give up, he held me while I cried… he picked me up, Princess-style, he hummed this really pretty lullaby I’d never heard before, and stared at my face, with what looked like a mixture of awe, despair, and guilt on his face… I don’t know why he needed to feel guilty though…” Tikki sat on the bed, looking up at her charge as the girl continued, the end was coming after all “then after I finished crying and he thought I was asleep, he tucked me into bed, then he leaned down and kissed me… HE KISSED ME TIKKI! THAT’S how I KNEW it was a dream. Sure, it felt real, and seemed real, heck, I can even still feel where he kissed my forehead, but… seriously, Chat would NEVER kiss me… I mean, why would he? I’m nothing special-”  
“THAT’S NOT TRUE MARINETTE!!!” Tikki drew the line whenever her charge would start to degrade herself, as she floated up to the girls face, arms floded across her little chest. Mari smiled  
“Thanks Tikki, but… it doesn’t matter… even if he doesn’t return my feelings… I still love Adrien, so… how could I love Chat too? I mean, really… ME in love with TWO boys? That’s just… crazy… it would never work… i… I choose Adrien… I loved him first, and besides… it was just a dream, Chat flirts with everyone…” Tikki decided to let it be… if she wanted to think it was a dream, if that would help the girl not to freak out anymore, then she would let it  
“Hey Marinette… don’t you have dress rehearsal today?”

Marinette had been one of first to arrive, giving her plenty of time to get into her dirty maid costume… it was only the first rehearsal after all… they were only going to go over the first 2 scenes today, then everyone was going to grab lunch together. She had just finished applying her “dirt” makeup when everyone else started to arrive. She walked over to the side, deciding to stay out of everyone’s way to practice her script when Nathaniel came up to her “H-hi Marinette”  
“Hey Nathaniel, what’s up?”  
“I, uh… was… wondering if you could help me… w-with my costume that is…”  
“Oh, sure, as long as you don’t mind me practicing at the same time”  
“N-no problem” and so, Marinette handed him the open book to hold while she helped fix his costume… “you know… you look really pretty” he stated out of the blue while she was skimming over the book, trying to find her part to practice  
“I’m dressed like a slave girl… that’s worst than a servant… at least servants don’t have ripped clothes… even if it is a costume” she responded without looking up  
“But… it looks really nice on you” she quirked an eyebrow as she glanced up at him, arms folded over her chest  
“Oh? So… you think I'd make a good slave girl then?”  
“NO!” He shouted out, waving his arms around frantically, she giggled “I-I’m just saying… you could make anything look good M-Marinette” she giggled again  
“Thank you Nathaniel, now would you mind turning the page while I try to fix this button?” She works on his costume while reciting her lines. He’s quiet for the most part, but soon he speaks up again  
“IwonderhowI'dlookwithabeard” Nathaniel mumbled… Marinette stopped looked up at him and burst into a fit of laughter  
“What?!” Suddenly Nathaniel started blushing from head to toe “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” She smiled as she nodded, trying to muffle her giggles, he sighed “you know… actually, I w-was going to try out for the huntsman…”  
“Why didn’t you?”  
“I, uh… kinda signed up for the wrong part…” he scratched his neck nervously. She bursts out laughing again  
“Wait, don’t tell me… you wanted the part because of the beard, didn’t you?” She giggled when he shyly nodded “what is it with guys and beards?”  
“What?”  
“It’s just that… Adrien was excited about the beard too, you know, when he got the par-”  
“MARINETTE!” The two looked to see Adrien walking, actually, almost running towards them  
“A-ADRRIEN! Oh, um, h-hi”  
“Hey, so I was wondering if you wanted to go over our lines together, since, you know, we’re in the beginning scene together”  
“Oh, um, y-yeah, sure. Just let me finish up here and I’ll be right over”  
“Okay, cool, I’ll be over by the stage when you’re ready.”

“he… he WHAT?!”  
“Shhh, not so loud”  
'What’s going on?’ Adrien wondered as he was walking to check on the progress of the set. Just as he pulled the curtain back however, he had just enough time to move out of the way of the fuming girl as she passed him  
“Goodfornothinglowlife…everygirlshouldbetreatedlikeaprincess…” she muttered as she passed him  
“Tina…” the other girl called as she started to chase after her, Tina kept on walking though  
“What’s going on?” Adrien asked  
“My boyfriend, he… She… she just has a big heart… she doesn’t like it when her friends get upset, actually, she's more upset about this than even I am, and I'm the one that was dumped…”  
“Should we go after her?”  
“No… just give her a chance to cool down, she’ll come back when she’s ready…”

Marinette had finally finished Nathaniel’s costume and was on her way to meet Adrien when suddenly she heard a scream. She whipped her head around just in time to see Alya running to the door, camera ready. Taking her cue, she ran the the changing stall and transformed.  
“SOMEONE HELP! I CAN’T WAKE HER UP!” Ladybug ran over find Maylene fast asleep, except, she wasn’t in her bunny costume like before, she was dressed in a pretty pink Princess dress, her hair down, and a small tiara on her head, she almost looked like… Sleeping Beauty.  
“What happened?” Ladybug asked Ivan  
“She got a call from her dad, but the service is bad in here, so she walked outside, then this floating poofy lady appeared, pointing what looked like a wand at her, and said 'suddenly, the young Princess stumbled across a spinning wheel and pricked her finger, causing her to fall into a deep sleep, only to awaken to True Loves Kiss' suddenly this, like, glowing spinning wheel appeared and Maylene touched it, then she collapsed like this”  
“Must be an Akuma” Ladybug whipped around to see Chat Noir standing beside her, looking over the sleeping girl “you may want to take her somewhere safe”  
“In the mean time, Chat Noir and I will go take care of-”  
“Wait a minute” Chloe interrupted “an Akuma that turns you into a Princess?” Ladybug didn’t like where this was going  
“Chloe, no” or the look on her face, but before she could say anything else the girl was gone “CHLOE!”  
“Okay, no one else leaves…” Chat began seriously, obviously agitated at the deliberate defiance of his Lady “we have no idea what this one is capable of… everyone hide until it’s safe” and with that Chat and Ladybug rushed to meet the new villain

“HHHHHELPPPP!!! I CAN’T STOP!!!!” when they reached the hall they found Chloe down on hands and knees, dressed as a servant girl with only one shoe, scrubbing the entire hall  
“CHLOE!” Ladybug shouted  
“LADYBUG, HELP! I CAN’T STOP CLEANING!!!” just then a small glowing group of mice dressed in jackets and hats, and dresses appeared and started singing “Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it’s Cinderelly” “EEEEEWWWWWW!!!!” Chloe complained as she watched the “magical” mice dance around her as she continued cleaning. Ladybug looked over to Chat and noticed him staring at the mice, her eyes widened  
“Uh… sorry Chloe, but we have to go” She started pushing her partner out of their line of sight  
“WHAT?! You’re just going to LEAVE ME HERE?! I! DON’T! CLEAN!”  
“And you wouldn’t be in this mess if you would have listened to me in the first place, I'm sorry Chloe, but we we have to worry about the Akuma for now… where is she?” Just then they heard screams coming from the auditorium “oh no… Chat, Common!” They ran back to the play room to find all the girls turned into Princesses… Rose’s hair had grown 40 feet, she was wearing a common pink dress with corset and was holding a frying pan, Juleka had cut her hair, she was wearing a Chinese soldier suit and had a “magic” glowing dragon and cricket on her shoulders, Sabrina was screaming, only no sound came out, she was wearing a white shirt, sea blue skirt and black corset with a sea blue bow, and Alya… she had just burst through the doors, her hair more wild than ever, she wore a torn green dress and had a bow around her back, she was following these glowing little blue flame-like creatures that were leading back to the room  
“Okay,” Chat began, so we’ve got…“  
"Repunzle, Mulan, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, and Merida” Ladybug finished  
“Ladybug!” Alya ran up to her hero “I was tracking the Akuma before she spotted me… apparently there’s a way to break the spell… Ivan… kiss Maylene”  
“WHAT?!” everyone turned to see the boy wide-eyed and jaw dropped  
“Just do it… it’ll break the curse... trust me” everyone was staring at Ivan as he held the unconscious girl in his arms  
“D-DONT LOOK AT ME” everyone looked away until they heard the girl stir  
“… Ivan?”  
“Oh thank goodness… Maylene, I was so worried”  
“See?” Alya proclaimed “we have to fulfill our stories ending to break the curse… for Maylene, it was a kiss, for Rose… woah girl, that’s some long hair… anyway, with Rose, live a dream, with Sabrina… again true loves kiss, Juleka needs to bring honor to her family, I’ll have to fulfill my fate, and with Chloe, her missing shoe” Alya smirked as she dangled said shoe on a single finger  
“Alya, where did you find that?” Chat asked worriedly  
“It was just sitting on the stair case… apparently, she was able to be Ball Cinderella for, like, a minute but the second it stroke noon... she’s been cleaning ever since”  
“Alya, you need to give that back” Ladybug stated  
“WHAT?! Common Ladybug… Chloe is cleaning… SHE’S CLEANING… we can’t interrupt her… besides, I’ve never seen the halls look so clean before” Ladybug thought for a minute  
“Alright, but only because she’s actually staying out of the way like this” she winked. “Everyone try to undo the curse, we’ll go take care of this FairyGodmother” Then she and Chat went out to try and stop the Akuma.

They had been fighting for hours, finally Ladybug called for her lucky charm… “wha-what is this?” Ladybug asked out loud. Chat hopped backwards to stand beside her  
“It looks like… a can of air?” Chat took the can, and squeezed the trigger “REAW!!!” Chat threw the lucky charm as he jumped back like a cat that had jusst seen a cucumber, holding his nose and hissing  
“CHAT!” Ladybug complained  
“That’s not air” he stated while still holding his nose. Ladybug sniffed the air where he had sprayed  
“It’s WD 40 Chat… and now it’s gone! Why did you do that?”  
“I’m sorry my Lady”  
“Don’t worry about it, for now, let’s just worry about the Akuma, we’ll find the charm later” and they were off. They fought long and hard, until Ladybugs earrings beeped, signaling that she was on her last dot “CHAT!”  
“I KNOW MY LADY” he shouted back as they continued to fight “GO! I’LL HOLD HER OFF UNTIL YOU GET BACK!” Ladybug nodded and jumped out of sight just in time to transform.  
“Tikki, are you okay?” The Kawamii nodded “oh no, I don’t have my bag on me… I’m still in costume”  
“Don’t worry Marinette, you stay here in case Chat needs you, I’ll be back”  
“Tikki NO!” But it was too late, she was gone around the corner before Mari could register it. Mari could hear Chat struggling to keep this one at bay, he was cornered, his back literally up against the wall, her reaction was quicker than her mind as she jumped out into the open… she had to save him… “HEY TOOTH FAIRY!”  
“Marinette? PRINCESS WHAT ATE YOU DOING HERE?!” Chat called in a panic. Upon hearing “PRINCESS” the Akuma turned to face said girl  
“SAVING YOUR BUTT” she shouted back  
“PRINCESS, GET OUT OF HERE!” He threw a pebble at the Akuma, trying to get FairyGodmother’s attention  
“HEY TINKERBELL!” she ignored him “COMMON, HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!”  
“PRINCESS, STOP PESTERING HER AND GET OUT OF HERE! MARINETTE!!!”  
“Snow White looked at the fruit, it was so beautiful, she took a bite, falling into a deep sleep” FairyGodmother raised her wand. Suddenly, a light blue ray hit Mari. Chat watched in both horror and awe as suddenly her ratty poor servant dress was replaced with one of Blue, red and yellow, her hair was brushed and a tiara was sat on her head suddenly a magical glowing apple appeared floating in the air, Marinette tried to resist, but the magic was too strong  
“CHAT!” Her hands reached up and grabbed the fruit, her eyes widened “CHAT!!!”  
“MARI!!!” He was running to her, but he wasn’t fast enough... no matter how hard she tried to resist, it was to no avail... the fruit was to her lips, she tried to keep her mouth shut, but the magic was too strong, she took one bite “NOOOOOOO!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Cinderella won... YAY!  
> but wait, what's going to happen to Mari now? And how is Chat going to stop the Akuma without his Lady?  
> I have an idea on what I'm gonna write, but I want to see what you guys think will happen, and who knows... if I like it enough, maybe I'll include it (of course, giving you credit for the part) ;)  
> remember...  
> Comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!!  
> Love yal <3  
> =^_^=


	12. FairyGodmother part. 2

Chat slid to a sudden stop as he caught the unconscious girl in his arms before she could hit the ground “Mari? M-Mari, wake up... Please... please wake up...” He looked up to glare at the Akuma, but she was gone… he looked left, he looked right… nothing… Chat let out a slight growl, then he turned back to the sleeping Marinette “Mari…” he brushes a strand of hair out of her face 'what... what have I done? How?... How could I let this happen to you? You were just trying to help me... you should have stayed hidden... you always stay hidden... so why? Why now? I was fine... why would- how could you be so reckless?... Please wake up' his head whipped back up at the sound of a scream ‘right… I have to keep an eye on the Akuma til Ladybug gets back, speaking of which… she should have been back by now… where is she?’ He glanced around again, no sign of her or the Akuma 'I have to find her, but… I can’t just leave Mari here…’ he sighed, then he stood up, and carried the girl Princess-style back into the school. Just then Nino and Kym came through the door way…  
“Woah, Dude, what happened to Marinette?”  
“Listen” Chat began seriously “Marinette was hit, but I still need to go after FairyGodmother, I need you 2 to please take her somewhere safe while I go search for the Akuma until Ladybug comes back” with slight hesitation, he handed the sleeping girl to Kym  
“Wait, you mean LB hasn’t come back yet bro?” Nino asked  
“I haven’t seen her” Chat replied  
“Hey” Kym began “what if… she couldn’t have been hit, right?” The three pairs of eyes widened at the question  
“Let’s hope not…” Chat whispered as he looked at Marinette’s sleeping face 'for HER sake, I sure hope not’ he shook his head to clear his thoughts “okay, I’m leaving, please… take good care of her” the other two boys looked at each other, then down to the girl in Kym’s arms  
“Dude, it’s Mari… there’s no way we wouldn’t” Nino offered a small smile as Chat let out a breath  
“Thanks.” Chat responded “make sure she’s safe, out of the way, somewhere she can rest peacefully until this whole ordeal is over”  
“Gee, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have a crush on our little Mari” Kym smirked  
“Wh-WHAT? No, its… i-its not like that…”  
“Hey, chillax dude” Nino placed a hand on the panicy-hero’s shoulder “pretty much, just about every guy in the school has fallen for Mari, even if just a little… it’s real easy to do… besides, everyone knows they don’t stand a chance-”  
“Not when she has a crush on Golden Boy himself” Kym interrupted  
“Yeah, and the sad thing is, I don’t think my boy Adrien has even actually noticed how she looks at him… dude, this girl is head over heals in love with him-”  
“Sometimes literally” Kym chuckled. Chat looked discouraged  
'Has it really been that obvious?’  
“Hey Dude, don’t worry, it’ll be cool… all we can really do for her is be there for her as friends… some day Adrien will come around, and if he doesn’t, then she’ll find someone new, either way dude, she’ll be okay”  
'Find someone new? What? No, she couldn’t… she wouldn’t… she… SHE CAN’T!’ “Right…” Chat took a deep breath in “I need to get going… protect her”  
“With our lives” Kym responded, Nino nodding in agreement, then Chat used his baton to start his search for the Akuma.

'It’s dark… where… where am I? What happened? The Akuma… I got hit… i.. I GOT HIT!! OH NO, NONONONONO!!!! This canNOT BE HAPPENING!!! I… I need to wake up… Common Marinette, Wake Up!… Wake Up! Wake Up! WAKE UP!!! WHY CAN’T I WAKE UP?! I HAVE to wake up… he… he NEEDS me… CHAT! CHAT!!! Please be safe… *sigh* okay… let’s go over this again… I got hit by the Akuma and turned into Snow White, I bit the apple and fell asleep, I can’t wake myself, think… Maylene… she was awoken when Ivan… that’s it!!! All I need now is for Chat to come and ki-… wait a minute… wh-WHAT?! WHY would I want CHAT to KISS me? No, no… nononononono, i… I meant Adrien… Adrien, the love of my life… A-Adrien should… kiss..m- it’s not like Chat would even think like that anyway, he’s may be a flirt, but serious he is not… except for when he tries to tell me to give up on Adrien, but then… he tells me not to?… what is up with that cat? He’s not the type to have a crush, but honestly… UGH!!! I’m so confused right now… *sigh*… Adrien… please hurry’

Chat jumped out of the Akuma’s aim… he had already been hit by her ray once or twice, and while it may not have turned him into a Prince (much to the onlookers’ displeasure) or any other fairytale character, it DID scorch his skin, even through his suit… apparently, while she wanted all girls to be Princesses, she could care less about the boys… where as her rays were harmless to the female gender, they were the complete opposite for males… she chased after him, looking to cause more harm to the leather-clad cat-boy “A Prince shouldn’t be running away from danger! He should face it head on, like a Man!” She shouted after him as she landed to get a more steady aim  
“First off, I’m more of the Knight type than a Prince… secondly, if that were the case, than Ladybug would be more the man than me, and thirdly…” at this he came to an abrupt stop, and using the balls of his heels, he turned to face her “who said I was running away?” He asked with a scowl. This surprised the Akuma, and as he started walking towards her, claws ready for some action, she began to move backwards  
“Wha-wh-what are you doing?! Get away you Stupid Cat!” Chat paused in his step, lowering his head so that his bangs had blocked the view of his eyes  
“You know… there are only 2 people who are allowed to call me that… my Lady, and my Princess, and last I checked” his head shot up, pure rage on his face “YOU are not one if them… you DID however, HURT a dear friend of mine, a VERY dear friend” he began walking again  
“N-no, stay, STAY AWAY FROM M-AAHH!” She fell backwards, conking her head on the street floor, the WD-40 rolling to land at Chat’s feet. Chat stared at the canister, then flipped his head to look at the Akuma… she wasn’t moving… worried, Chat ran over to FairyGodmother, knelt down and inspected the girl… no blood, she was still breathing, good… he sighed  
'She must have knocked herself out when she slipped on the Lucky Charm…' Chat poked at her face 'yep.. out cold… good, at least now I can look for Ladybug without having to worry about being attacked’ Chat rose to his feet, and stared over the girl again 'hmm… maybe I should take this… just in case” he swooped down and grabbed the wand from her unconscious grip.

'Adrien? Where are you? Why haven’t you come yet? I need you… I have to wake up, but… I can’t… not alone… please, Adrien, find me, wake me up… Chat.. he needs me… I can’t abandon him like this… he wouldn’t even know why I’m missing… I have to wake up, I can’t let him do this alone, what if something happens to him? I’d never forgive myself… but then… this is the first time an Akuma actually hit me… even if he didn’t realize it was me, i-i wonder… I wonder how he reacted when I was finally out… I remember… he seemed kinda mad that i, Marinette, was there supporting him… maybe he likes Ladybug more… I mean, it’d make sense… he’s a hero, she’s a hero… I’m.. a hero… and yet… I’m the one needing saved… huh, I wonder if this is how Chat feels whenever he gets hit… gosh, I hope he’s oka- wait… why am I so concerned about that Cat? I mean, he’s a big boy, he can take care of himself… besides… all he knows is that Marinette got hit… and that… I love Adrien… there’s no way HE, Chat, would even THINK about KISSING me… no, if anything… he’ll go get Adrie-WHAT?! No, nononononono nononononono NO! I do NOT want CHAT to tell ADRIEN that I’M IN LOVE WITH HIM!!! Th-that… it’s personal… okay, okay, call down Mari…maybe he could, I don’t know, maybe HINT that the way to break the curse is a kiss… oh my gosh, what am I thinking?… *sigh* Adrien… please hurry…’

Chat searched all around the outside of the school, but he still couldn’t find Ladybug anywhere… he was starting to grow anxious, 'this isn’t good… she’s not anywhere… where could she be? The Akuma’s still out… hmm, maaaay want to have her checked for a concussion later… maybe my Lady… went inside?... I have to find her…’ Chat entered the school building, checking every room, but finding them either empty or locked (it WAS Saturday after all), when he got to the Cafeteria, he found the whole play Crew huddled together, all the girls as some form of Princess, and some of the boys (the ones who were brave enough to try and stand in the way) had burns and/or cuts on them… one of such was Kym (who had apparently tried to stand in front of Alex), he had burns and cuts on his arms, face, chest and legs… all for not apparently, because, trying to hide behind him was Alex, dressed as...  
“SO NOT ONLY DID YOU ALL BUT KILL YOURSELF TRYING TO STAND IN FRONT OF ME, BUT NOW I’M STUCK IN THIS STUPID POOFY YELLOW DRESS, WITH STUPID LONG UNDERWEAR, A FANCY GLOWING UMBRELLA AND ONLY ONE GLOVE… AND JANE'S NOT EVEN A PRINCESS!!!” Alex complained as she flared her arms at Kym, who seemed to be trying to cower away from her furious glare. Chat raised an eyebrow at the scene, but, decided to let it slide. Just then Alya came up, Nino trailing, obediently, beside her with her camera phone  
“Chat Noir… what’s going on? If the Akuma’s been cleansed, then why is everyone still dressed like this… Didn’t Ladybug use her Lucky Charm yet?”  
“Ah, well…” Chat scratched the back of his head “actually, I’m looking for my lady right now, see, I have the Akuma right here, but the victim is, uh… kinda passed out, she, uh… eheh, tripped on the Lucky Charm”  
“Wait a minute” Alex interrupted, making her way over to the conversation “you’re telling me that you left the Akuma ALONE?”  
“Well, I mean, she kinda hit her head on the ground… she’s out cold.”  
“And if she wakes up?”… “Ugh! Common Kym, let’s go”  
“Where are you going?”  
“To babysit the Akuma of course, sheesh…” with that the two left the room

'Gosh, is this how Snow White felt? I mean, you know, if she were real… *sigh* this is taking forever… OKAY! I’M READY TO WAKE UP NOW!… ADRIEN?! CHAT?! ANYBODY?!… *sigh* when I wake up… that stupid Cat is getting it…’

“Ladybug? Where are you?! My Lady?!” Chat had been searching the school for what felt like forever, he was running out of hope… what should he do? He already asked everyone else… no one had seen her… who else could he ask?… hos eyes widened “Marinette” he whispered to himself as he stepped into the auditorium. 'Could she know?’ He walked up to the stage, to where they had laid her… the stage crew had apparently made a bed for the play… it seems as though that’s where Nino and Kym had laid her. Still dressed as Snow White, she laid quite peacefully, her hair slightly splayed on the pillow… his breath caught 'she… she’s beautiful’ Chat shook his head to clear his thoughts 'no time for that now…’ “Mari?” He gently shook her, but she didn’t stir “Princess please… wake up”… nothing. 'I have to wake her up… but… how?… true loves kiss… it worked for Maylene, but… who could kiss her? It can’t be just anyone… it has to be true love…but… who does she love?…'  
“I’m in love with Adrien Agreste” he remembered  
'But… Adrien… that’s…’ “THAT’S ME!” Chat slammed his hands over his mouth as shock overcame his face. He looked down at the sleeping girl… she really was beautiful 'Okay…'he took a deep breath 'i… let’s try this’ he leaned in closer to the girl, brushed a bit of her hair out of her face “Mari” he leaned down, eliminating the distance between them

'Wait… do I hear something… that voice… its… A-ADRIEN! Wait… he- he Really CAME FOR ME?! OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH OH MY GOSH! He… he touched my face, he said my name, He… HE… he… Adrien…’

He kissed her… and it wasn’t just a peck like he thought it’d be… he really kissed her… the moment his lips touched hers, he felt drawn to her, all other thoughts forgotten, all other things, all other people, his classmates, FairyGodmother, even Ladybug herself, leaving his mind blank… it was just him and the Marinette, alone in the whole world... as he was about to end the kiss though, she began kissing back, and boy could she kiss… her arms reacted on their own as they found their way around his neck, while his right hand went to support her head and his left arm went to support her back as the two began to sit up. Finally they had to break for air… their foreheads resting together, they finally began to open their eyes “Mari”  
“Chat?!” She looked like she’d seen a ghost 'Wha-wh-what’s CHAT doing here?! It… i-it WASN’T Adrien who woke me? WHAT?!“  
"Mari?” He placed a hand on her cheek “what’s wrong?” She could only stare…  
'no… nononononono, this is ALL WRONG! Adrien should have woken her… not her partner… her best friend… but… but..’ it was then that she finally noticed the wand on his lap “um… Ch-Chat? What’s that?”  
“Oh, right… it’s the Akuma” he grinned while scratching the back of her neck  
“WHAT?! WHY DO YOU HAVE IT?!”  
“Well, um.. FairyGodmother kinda tripped on the Lucky Charm, and knocked herself unconscious, so to be sure she didn’t wake up and terrorize everyone again, I took it to try and find... LADYBUG!… you haven’t seen her, have you?!” He finished in a rush. She blinked, then suddenly pulled herself together  
'That’s right…. there’s an Akuma’ “yeah, I saw her” his whole face lit up  
“ you did? When? Where?”  
“Y-yeah, uhh…” 'keep calm Marinette… it’s just Chat, and… Paris needs you…’ “She was looking around the school, trying to find, a…. a cookie, I think…” 'I get it... he just needed to wake you to ask about Ladybug… it's not like he actually cares for me...’  
“The kitchen… thanks Mari, you’re a life saver” he grabbed her by both cheeks and started leaning in, he paused when his lips were about a centimeter away from her forehead 'wait… what am I doing?’  
“Um… Chat?” He sat up  
“Right… uh… i-uh, gotta go” with that he ran to the hall. He paused right at the doorway, looked back, “Stay safe Princess” then he ran out  
'yeah... like he could fall in love with me…’

As soon as she got off the bed, her beautiful Princess dress dissolved, leaving her in her maid costume 'I guess the curse has been lifted…’ her fingers lifted to touch her lips as a slight blush crossed her cheeks as she started to remember exactly what had just happened  
“MARINETTE!!” the little red being zoomed through the door way, “Im so glad you’re okay. I went back to where I left you, but you were gone. I searched the entire school until I…” she paused just before she could hug her charge “Marinette?”  
“He kissed me…” Mari whispered “He… he Kissed ME! TIKKI, CHAT KISSED ME!” she looked like she was about to have a panic attack  
“Oh, phew. I thought you were going to tell me something horrible, like, the Akuma got away or somethi-”  
“Chat, Tikki, CHAT! You know, the notorious FLIRT, he actually KISSED ME,AND… oh my gosh, i… I KISSED HIM BACK!!!” Tikki looked confused  
“Marinette, if you kissed him back, than why is this a problem?”  
“Tikki, you don’t understand… I got hit… I literally BECAME Snow White… I was asleep… Adrien… HE was supposed to wake me up, I heard his voice, I know I did, so when… wh-when he kissed me… he really kissed me, and… I… kissed back, but when I opened my eyes… I didn’t see Adrien… I saw Chat… but, WH-WHAT WAS CHAT DOING KISSING ME FOR?!”  
“Marinette… have you ever thought that maybe he likes you?”  
“HA! That flirt? No way… that can’t be it… This doesn’t change anything… he’s still a hopeless flirt, and I’m still in love with Adrien, and i-”  
“Why can’t you just love them both?” Marinette blinked  
“Tikki, its… *sigh* it’s not that simple… I’ve been in love with Adrien since I met the guy… Chat… he’s just a friend… besides, he doesn’t know I’m Ladybug, so… to him… what’s so special about me?”  
“Oh Mari” Marinette took a deep breath  
“Tikki, are you at full strength?” the Kawamii nodded “good, cause we need to get going… I don’t feel comfortable having Chat just carrying around the Akuma’s wand”  
“WHAT?!”  
“I know… let’s go. TIKKI, SPOTS ON!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... first off, sorry it took so long... phone is still on the frizz, not wanting to hold a charge for too long, plus I'm getting a lot more hours at work... heh, good for the paycheck ;)
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter... let me tell you, trying to add fluff without making it sound bad is kinda hard... that being said, the next Chapter's fluff... MAY not be so soft (nowhere near Sin though, so no worries) ;)
> 
> Remember,  
> Comment, comment, COMMENT!!!


	13. FairyGodmother part. 3

“CHAT!” Ladybug had been walking around the school looking for her partner “CHAT!” She called out again  
“LADYBUG!” he ran into hug her “I’ve been searching everywhere” he pulled back, holding her at arms length to look her in the eye “where have you been?”  
‘Oh you know, I got struck by the Akuma, fell into a death-like sleep, was waiting for Prince charming but instead I apparently got waken up by a dumb cat… oh, and, where YOUR realization came AFTER the kiss broke during Dark Cupid, mine came back mid-kiss when you were about to pull away, and STUPID me, thought you were Adrien, so I kissed you back… yeah right… like I could tell him that’ “I’m sorry I took so long, I misplaced Tikki during all the commotion, and had to track her down so I could transform again… wait… what happened to you?” She took note of all the cuts. Scrapes and bruises on her partner, then she looked down to his hand clutching the wand “Chat? Why do you have the Akuma?” Chat scratched the back of his neck  
“Well…-”  
“I don’t want to know…” she sighed as she pinched the brim of her nose “just hand it over so we can purify it” she held her hand out. Chat handed her the cursed weapon, and Ladybug noticed how he seemed to slightly perk up more the moment it was out of his claws… he had to have been holding it for at least an hour… "you okay there Chat?"  
"Never better my Lady" he grinned, Ladybug eyed him with a bit of concern… she took the wand, and broke it  
“no more evil doing for you little Akuma… bye bye pretty butterfly” the two watched as the snow white butterfly fluttered away into the Parisian sky. Ladybug smiled as she held her hand out again. Chat stared at her hand, then her face  
“Uhhh….”  
“You have the Lucky Charm, right?”  
…  
“Seriously?” She deadpanned as she dropped her arm  
“Hey, that stuff seriously stinks” he cringed. Ladybug face-palmed  
“Okay, okay… do you at least know where it is?”  
“Ah, THAT I do my Lady… it’s with FairyGodmother” he grinned his biggest Chester grin. Ladybug just sighed as she shook her head  
“Common, let’s go… I can’t fix Paris without it” they walked out of the school to where they found Alex, still dressed as Jane, literally sitting on FairyGodmother’s stomach, Kym standing beside her ,trying to explain that that’s not how babysitting works, and how his dad was going to kill him for letting this happen, pinching the brim of his nose. Chat tried to hold back a chuckle  
“Uh… Alex? What are you doing?” Alex looked over to see Ladybug and Chat Noir coming towards them  
“Akumasitting” she stated simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world  
“Um… Alex…"Ladybug began "that’s not exactly how that works”  
“I know, but the Rugrat… put me in a dress… not just a dress, oh no, a big. Poofy. Yellow. Ballroom dress with long underwear… if you think I’m giving her any chance of getting up, you’re greatly mistaken… and Jane ain’t even a PRINCESS!” Ladybug sighed… again  
“Okay, fine… she’s still asleep then?”  
“Yep”  
“Great.. the Akuma’s been cleaned, but I still need to toss my Lucky Charm… you two haven’t seen it, have you?”  
“Hm? You mean this?” Chat hissed as Kym handed the ladybug printed canister to Ladybug  
“Yes, Thank you” she thanked Kym as he handed it off to her. Chat, quite dramatically, grabbed and covered his nose and mouth and gave a low growl as his cat ears laid back in protest of the very can itself. Ladybug rolled her eyes and threw the Lucky Charm into the air “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"suddenly the can burst into a swarm of ladybugs which flew all around Paris correcting all the Akuma had done. They watched as Alex turned back into her tomboy self, and as the cuts and wounds on both guys miraculously disappeared  
"FINALLY!” they all heard Chloe shout from somewhere inside the school. The four laughed. Suddenly Alex jumped up as Tina finally began to stir. Ladybug walked over and knelt down to greet the girl  
“Tina?”  
“L-Ladybug? Wha-where am I? Alex? Kym? Chat Noir? What happened?”  
“It’ll be okay Tina… you were Akumatized, but everything’s okay now.” Tina's face lost all traces of color  
“What did I do?”  
“You put me in a dress Pipsqueak” Alex inturrupted, folding her arms with a scowl. Tina blinked, then burst into laughter  
“What? Tell me you got a picture” she looked at Kym  
“Better… Alya and Nino got it on video” Kym smirked as he crossed his arms. Tina giggled. His smirk and arms fell as he looked down to the girl “Sis, what were you thinking? I mean, sure you were nice to the girls… kinda… you turned all the girls into Princesses, although props for Chloe being Cinderella… can’t wait to see how clean the school is”  
“Wait… I turned everyone into Princesses?”  
“Well, not everyone” Chat inturrupted “just the girls… the guys… you were a bit more rough with”  
“Oh… I’m sorry…” she turned to look at Alex “wait… so if the girls were Princesses… who were you?” Alex stared at the girl still on the ground  
“Jane… seriously Rugrat, you put me in a big, Poofy, yellow dress… AND SHE ISN’T EVEN A PRINCESS! WHY couldn’t you make me into, like, I don’t know, Mulan or something? At least THEN I’d have pants”  
“Um, Alex, Mulan technology isn’t a Princess either… besides, I thought you said Jane was your favorite”  
“Notanymore…” she mumbled.  
“Wait” Ladybug input “Kym you called her Sis…”  
“Yeah, this is my little sister” he replied while roughing her hair  
“Only by a year... oh, and by the way... I win” Tina threw back as she pushed his hand off her head.  
"what do you mean, win?" Alex asked with a glare at Kym  
"NOTHING!" Kym threw out, trying to avoid the subject, Tina, however, had a different idea  
"Ever since he met you, he's claimed that you'd look like a dork in a dress-"  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
"and being the ever-faithful sister I am" Tina continued, ignoring the interuption "I took him on, and bet 20 euros that you'd probably so pretty that he couldn't talk... and judging by the blush cover ing brothers whole face... I'd say, 'I Win'." Tina smirked as everyone turned to look at said boy  
"sh-she's lying" Kym tried (but failed) to hide his completely tomato-red face. Alex walked over to Kym with her hands on her hips  
"I'll have you know, mr. Jump-in-front-of-me, that I can actually rock a dress... I just don't like big & poofy" she smirked  
"wait... you jumped in front of her?" everyone turned to look at Tina, her smirk turned to a wicked smile "I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU LIKED HER!"  
"IwasjusttryingtomakesureIdidn'tlooseabettoyoupipsqueak" Kym mumbled, arms crossed as he TRIED to avoid any eye contact, Alex quickly turned away before anyone could see the faint blush on her own face at the thought of that comment actually being true. Tina sprang to her feet to tease her brother and his "best friend" some more, she winced from the pressure of the rushed action  
“oww”. Chat came over beside her, and put a hand on her shoulder  
“You may want to put ice on that… you fell and knocked your head pretty hard” he smiled gently. She smiled back. Ladybug cleared her throat  
“Well, it’s been fun, but we should probably be going… Kym, take her to go get checked, just to be safe.” With that Ladybug threw her yo-yo and was off.

Chat watched as she left, his smile fading as she rounded a corner and was out of sight… 'my Lady…’ did he even have the right to call her that anymore? He had betrayed her, he had kissed another… it lasted more than a second.. much longer than he intended… he hadn’t pulled away when she started kissing him back, in fact, he had actually sat them both up… he hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her, but his lungs were screaming for air… he had forgotten everything… everyone… “Ladybug…” he whispered as his finger tips found his lips, a look of hurt betrayal and confusion sketched on his face  
“Uh… hey man, you okay?” Chat whipped around to find Kym, Alex and Tina all staring at him with confusion and concern  
“Yeah, yeah, totally… you should probably get her to a hospital… just to be safe”  
“Uh-yeah, sure” with that Chat used his baton and began his tread home. As he passed a certain bakery however, he stopped. Parked one or two roofs away, he sat and watched her window. He saw her shadow pass over the closed curtain, 'she must have come home after she woke up’ his fingers rose to his lips again as a blush overcame his whole face. He shook his head and quickly jumped away 'I have to get home’.

When he touched down inside his room, he quickly detransformed, and immediately his phone started going crazy with notifications. He picked his phone from his pocket, ignoring the ones from his Photographer, his personal trainer, Nathalie, the Gorilla and even one from his father 'probably just a scolding for missing another Piano practice’. He did open, however, the ones from his friends 

Nino- yo dude,there's an Akuma, where y'at man?  
Nino- hey dude, seriously? Where r u? Ur ok, rite?  
Nino- OMG! MARI GOT HIT! DUDE, WHERE EVR U R, GET UR BUT OUT HERE!  
Kym- Mari got hit  
Max- Marinette has been hit by the Akuma and is currently in a deep sleep awaiting her prince Charming… where are you again?  
Rose- Marinette is Snow White… hurry, she needs True loves Kiss  
Alex- crap… Mari’s hit, I repeat... MARI GOT HIT!  
Sabrina- Cloe has been turned into Cinderella, she needs you to put her shoe on her foot so she can stop cleaning…  
Juleka- woah- dude, you gotta come kiss Mari  
Alya- MARI GOT HIT! we found a way to break the curse, but we need your help… where are you?  
Nino- DUDE! WE NEED U MAN! MARI NEEDS U! DUDE, SHE’S A REAL LIFE SLEEPING BEAUTY! GET UR SCRAWNY LITTLE MODEL BUTT OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!  
Alex- KISS HER!  
Rose- Kiss Her!!!  
Kym- dude, you gotta come kiss her  
Rose- only a kiss can wake her up  
Juleka- common man, you have to kiss her  
Sabrina- oh, and while you’re here, could you wake Marinette up?  
Nino- okay dude, I’m just gonna say it… you NEED to kiss her  
Alya- Adrien, so help me, if I have to track you down and drag you back here by your pretty blonde hair, so help me I WILL! WHERE ARE YOU?!  
Alex- you NEED to kiss her  
Juleka- a kiss should work  
ROSE- KISS HER!!!!!!  
Nathaniel- hey, so… Marinette’s been hit by FairyGodmother… she’s currently asleep, dressed as Snow White… everyone w-  
Nathaniel- as saying how a kiss should break the curse, so I went when she was alone… it didn’t work. It wor-  
Nathaniel- ked for Maylene and Ivan, so it should have worked… but it didn’t.  
Nathaniel- She’s sleeping in the auditorium, on the bed we made for the play… my kiss didn’t work… but… maybe…

A hoard of thoughts and emotions rushed through Adrien the first being... 'NATHANIEL KISSED HER?! How DARE he!! What was he thinking?! I mean, I know he likes her, but, I never would have thought that he’d actually try and kiss her… Wait… if all it took was a kiss to wake her, then… why didn’t it work for him? Why did it work for me? I mean… she woke up… but if…’ “if all it took to wake her was a kiss, then why didn’t it work when Nath kissed her? Why was my kiss so different?” He ran his hand through his hair anxiously. Plagg floated up, a flat expression on his face  
“You’re kidding me right? How many times has she said she loves Adrien?”  
“But… I was Chat”  
“Seriously?” Plagg looked at him like he grew a second head “Adrien IS Chat. Chat IS Adrien. There is LITERALLY NO DIFFERENCE! Look… Chat Noir is just Adrien in a costume, with the extra ability to destroy things… everything else… is yo- wait, did you say Nathaniel KISSED Mari?”  
“Yeah” he said in answer to all the above. Plagg blinked  
“Stay here Kid… I’ll be right back” as he pushed up his invisible sleeves while floating towards the window. Adrien jumped to grab the floating Kawamii  
“Woah woah woah, where are YOU going?”  
“To go give that little Tomato-head a piece of my mind” he stated as he tried to escape out of Adrien’s tight grasp “that little piece-of-tomato had NO RIGHT TO put his lips anywhere NEAR OUR PRINCESS without permission… ESPECIALLY when she was asleep, I mean… WHAT IF THAT WAS HER FIRST KISS?! THAT NO GOOD FOR NOTHING MAY HAVE *STOLE* IT FROM HER, AND SHE WON’T EVEN REMEMBER IT!” Adrien’s hands wouldn’t budge  
“Okay, one. How is what he did any different from what I did? She was still asleep when I kissed her… she never gave me her permission. Second. OUR Princess? Since when did YOU take interest into Mari? And third-”  
“Kid, we did have permission… in fact, all of her friends PRACTICALLY BEGGED you to kiss her”  
“Okay, doesn’t count… I didn’t get the messages until AFTER I’d done kissed her… and I was dressed as CHAT! She saw me… as CHAT! CHAT is the one who kissed her… ADRIEN is the one that no one could reach…”  
“Doesn’t matter… you still kissed her, and she woke up… now, will you two PLEASE FINALLY get together?” Adrien glared at the lord of destruction. Plagg sighed “look Kid, it worked for you… because she loves you, and… you love her… that’s how true love works… for the curse to be broken, both parties must be in alliance with each other…”  
“But… I love Ladybug”  
Adrien spent the rest of the night laying awake in bed, thinking over absolutely everything that had occurred during the day.

“Tikki? You… you still up?” Tikki floated up to sit besides the girls head, Mari turned on her side and sighed “Tikki… why did Chat kiss me? Why didn’t Adrien? He was there… I'm sure of it, but… even after the Akuma was cleansed and everything was back as it should be…. no one seems to have seen him since… Alya said they all tried to find him, but he never replied to their messages… I’m glad they were concerned for him… he needs more of that, you know? He needs to see that we all care about him, and that we’re all his friends… I do hope he’s okay… … … but why did Chat do that? I mean… he knew… he KNOWS that I’m in love with Adrien… even if he couldn’t reach him… even if he had the Gorilla come take him home… Chat STILL could’ve gone and got him… but instead… … …. was all it took really just any kiss? Great… now Chat has both my first, AND my second kiss…” she turned onto her back as she moaned into her hands. She waited a few minutes in complete silence, then she lowered her hands from her face “why did I kiss him back?”  
“You kissed him back?” Mari turned her head to see Tikki staring with wide eyes as she covered her tiny mouth. Mari smirked  
“Yeah” then she let out a sigh and her smirk fell “I thought it was Adrien, I swear I heard HIS voice, it was the only sound I’d heard the entire time, so… when he kissed me…"she could feel the blush coming "i-uh… kissed him back… I was just coming through, I thought it MUST be Adrien, he was about to pull away… I didn’t want that, so I kissed him back… he sat us both up, then finally we had to break for air… i… … why was it Chat? In that case… I don’t know… NINO probably could have woke me… at least with Dark Cupid I was the only option, but… that stupid cat… I don’t even know how long I was out, or even how I got to the auditorium… everything was just dark and quiet… and… lonely…”  
“Oh Marinette… don’t worry… I’m sure Adrien’s safe, and… I’m sure Chat meant well… as for the kiss… well, that’s something you 2 should discuss… but later, for now… you need your rest… goodnight Mari”  
“Goodnight Tikki”

“MARI!!!” Rose ran up and jumped at the girl, wrapping her in a tight hug  
“R-Rose, can’t, breathe” Juleka came up and placed a hand on Rose’s shoulder, who released upon the gentle touch  
“Hey, Mar, you okay?” Juleka asked  
“Uh…”  
“Hey, glad to see you’re awake” Kym added as he and Alex joined the the small group  
“Of course she is” Alya added with a smirk “which meeeeans…”  
“DID HE KISS YOU?!” Rose jumped in front of her face  
“Huh? Did… WHO kiss me?” Mari was starting to sweat bullets  
“Adrien, duh” Alex stated  
“WH-WHAT?!” Mari really wasn’t expecting that “Why would Adrien ki-”  
“By all of my accounts added, it is the only plausible way that she would be standing beside us at this very moment” Max interrupted as he, Maylene and Ivan joined the group  
“He’s right… you’re not even aware of anything else at all when you’re put to sleep like that” Maylene chimed in “my only comfort was that I could hear Ivans voice… it was like music to my ears” Ivan blushed  
“So did he kiss you or not?” Nathaniel threw in  
“Oh… uh… n-no, I uh, w-woke up on my own… I guess”  
“WHAT?!” the whole group asked in unison, Mari flinched, there was NO WAY she would tell them that CHAT had kissed her  
“What?” Mari asked as innocently as she could  
“Alex, hold my phone” Alya stated as she started stomping towards the street, a scary look in her eyes. Mari grabbed her arm as she passed  
“Woah there… where are you going in such a rage?”  
“To find that little son-of-a-model and give him a piece of my mind”  
“WHAT?! WHY would YOU have ANYTHING to give him an earful for?”  
“BECAUSE” Alya whipped around “we ALL tried to reach him, but the boy up and vanished… NO ONE, not even Nino could reach him… you were out, there was only ONE way to wake you, and by golly, we were going to make SURE it happened, because YOU girl, have NEVER been victimized, and when we heard you were hit, ALL of our hearts broke for you, but the boy never answered a single text… WHY WOULDN’T HE CARE THAT YOU GOT HIT?!-”  
“Because the dude didn’t know” Nino interruted as he and Adrien came walking into the conversation  
“What do you mean, he didn’t know?” Alya questioned with a glare  
“I’m sorry guys” Adrien stated as he scratched the back of his neck “the Gorilla came and picked me up during the attack, and when I got home, i-uh, accidentally dropped my phone in the car before getting out”  
“Dude didn’t even get any of our messages until this morning” Alya eyed the model-boy  
“It’s true… you know I would have come back if I’d had it… even if it meant fighting off my father… if it meant helping a friend…” Alya calmed down at that  
“Well… fine, I guess I’ll give you that…”  
“Um… am I missing something here?” Marinette asked, totally lost  
“No."Adrien rushed to answer with a blush. Everyone else looked at him with curiosity. "Its just that… well, i-uh… i gotta go” and he zoomed into the school. Everyone stared after him.  
“Guys” Mari began “what exactly did you tell Adrien happened?” Alya laid a hand on her shoulder and sighed  
“It doesn’t really matter now… the point is, he couldn’t make it, and you ended up waking up on your own”  
“Wait… you didn’t” Just then the bell rang, and everyone headed inside for school to begin, leaving Mari alone, staring after all of her friends 'no… they didn’t… No Way! THEY DID NOT TELL ADRIEN TO KISS ME, DID THEY?!’ She felt like she was going to faint.

Ladybug landed inside her room, from yet, ANOTHER solo patrol and transformed as soon as her feet hit the floor “Tikki? It’s been 5 days… seriously, where is that stupid Cat?!”  
“Marinette, calm down-”  
“Calm down?… CALM DOWN?!HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN WHEN BOTH OF THE STUPID BLOND GUYS I KNOW ARE ACTING LIKE I DON’T FLIPPING EXIST!?”  
“MAR-I-NETTE! CONTROL YOURSELF” Tikki ordered. Mari paused then sighed  
“Sorry Tikki, it’s just… *sigh* Adrien has been acting weird, it’s like… he won’t talk to me, he’s constantly either on his phone or has his nose in a book… I mean, I understand he has a job, and wants to get good grades and all that, but… I sit behind him… a CLEAR view of over his shoulder… n-not that I was trying to see or anything, but… he was looking up sleeping beauty… and in the library, he had so many old books, including the Brothers Grimm series… when I tried to ask him about it, he just said that… a very close friend’s best friend was hit during the last Akuma attack, and she had been put to sleep, but when his friend kissed her, she woke up… he said he was just trying to help his friend who seems to be confused about why she actually woke up… which brings me to the other blond dork… Tikki it’s been 5 days… FIVE DAYS TIKKI… that STUPID cat just ups and disappears on me for FIVE DAYS?! WHAT IF THERE HAD BEEN AN AKUMA ATTACK?! I CAN’T HANDLE THAT ON MY OWN… I NEED him… he’s my partner… why would he just ABANDON me like that? You don’t… you don’t think something HAPPENED to him do you? I mean, he WAS holding that Akuma for a long time before I woke up… that couldn’t effect him, could it? Wait, what am I saying of course nothing happened to him, I mean,” she began pacing “even if he SOMEHOW lost his miraculous… he’d come to me as a civilian… right? Or… would he? I mean, I AM the one that’s so admit on keeping our identities hidden… he wouldn’t think that’s betraying my trust would he? *sigh*… we have to talk about that… i… I have to find him. Tikki, think you’d be up for another quick run?”  
“Mari, I finished off 3 cookies while you were rambling, as long as there’s not an attack, I’m good for the next few hours. Although you do have school tomorrow, so I suggest we don’t stay out all night.”  
“Thanks Tikki” Marinette stood confident and tall “TIKKI! SPOTS ON!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY!!! Another chapter done, and the next one, about half way there...  
> so... the texting... Pretty much, I limited Nath's messages to about 100 characters per message (much like my first ever phone) which is why so many showed up for Adrien...  
> Okay, so... thoughts? Fave parts? Did you laugh? Cry? anything else you'd like to say? What do you THINK might happen in the next chapter? I'm all ears. ^_^  
> Remember, Comment, comment, COMMENT!!!!  
> Luv yal  
> =^_^=


	14. Finding Chat

The thunder rolled as Adrien was sitting at his desk, when he suddenly heard a knock on his window, he spun around “Ladybug?” He jumped up to open the windows “what are you doing here? I thought I already saw you taking Patrol, like, hours ago” Ladybug, soaked to the bone shivered as she tried to catch her breath  
“I wasn’t” she took a deep breath “I wasn’t on patrol” she winced as she landed inside his room  
“But… you’re out of breath, you’re exhausted, and you're hurt, was… was there an Akuma attack?” His eyes widened  
“No. No there wasn’t any Akumas tonight”  
“Then, why-”  
“I was out trying to find Chat when it started to sprinkle, I didn't really think much of it, so I kept going, but so did the rain. The drops kept getting bigger and falling faster and harder... it got to the point where I actually couldn't see in front of me... I, uh... I guess I kinda misjudged one of the poles I was aiming for and fell between two buildings... I slipped as I landed though, and, kinda twisted my ankle a little"  
“Are you… are you okay?” He asked as he handed her a clean towel he had recently sat on the back of his chair for his next shower, true concern filled in his eyes. She let out a calming breath  
“Yeah… thanks” a moment of silence passed between them until  
“Wait, you were out looking for Chat?… why?”  
“I… he hasn’t shown himself since the last attack… it’s been 5 days, Adrien… what if there was an Akuma tonight? I couldn’t have handled it on my own, I-”  
“Of course you could’ve… heck, you probably don’t even really need hi-”  
“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence” she glared as she pointed her finger at him “Chat and I are partners… we’re a team… I need him like he needs me, I can’t do what I do without him”  
“I seriously doubt that”  
“Why are you so against Chat anyway? Like honestly, that’s the one trait in you that I actually DON’T like” her hands flew to cover her mouth as she ran backwards a few steps at the realization of what she had just said, both pairs of eyes widened. The silence was deafening. Adrien cleared his throat  
“In me?” Adrien began stalking towards her “what do you mean, a trait you DON’T like in me?” She gulped  
“N-nothing” she took another step back  
“It didn’t sound like nothing, in fact, it almost sounded like you were saying that you like me” another step closer  
“Wh-what? Wh-why would I say something like that?” Another step back  
“That was my question” another step closer. She gulped, she could feel the beads of sweat roll down the back of her neck. She sighed in defeat, he paused, she looked back up to him, determination blazing in her eyes  
“I…” ‘what am I doing? I can’t confess… like this, but I’ve already started, I can’t back out now… but I also can’t tell him that LADYBUG has a crush on him, maybe I should-’ “Marinette is in love with you” she rushed out 'ARE YOU INSANE?! HOW IS THIS ANY BETTER?!’  
“Oh”  
“Oh… just, OH?!” 'Calm down Mari, let’s take it easy and-’ suddenly they were interrupted by the tell tale ringing of a pair of miraculous earrings 'crap’ “um, uh… I should-”  
“No Wait” he ran to grab her arm, she looked at him in surprise “please, just… not yet…” he looked like a sad puppy seeing her leave  
“Adrien… I’m about to transform, I have to-”  
“I have a bathroom… it’s pretty large, we could, maybe, talk through the door? Besides, that’s your third beep… would you really be able to make it home in time?” Ladybug looked from the boy in front of her to the door on the other side of the room, her mental debate was cut short though with another beep from her miraculous  
“Okay” they walked over to the bathroom together  
“So. Uh… you must have been out pretty late… are you, uh, hungry? I mean, would you like some cheese or anything?”  
“Cheese? Oh, no thank you, but, uh… do you, by any chance, have some cookies?”  
“Uh, yeah, sure… uh, anything else?”  
“Maybe just a cup of water” she stood in the doorway, confidence slowly slipping away  
“Right, sure, got it. Um… I’ll be right back, but for now, maybe try to not make any noise… I’m not exactly supposed to have company over this late”  
“Oh, sure, no problem” she slid in and closed the door. Each stood on one side of the door, staring like they could see through the wood.  
“I’ll uh, I’ll, I’ll be right back… yeah”

Ladybug waited until she heard the sound of his bedroom door open and close before she released her transformation, catching Tikki before she could fall to the ground “Tikki… what have I just done?”  
“Relax Marinette, it’ll be okay”  
“I just told Adrien Agreste that I, that Marinette, loves him… and all he can say is, 'Oh’?…”

“Ladybug is in my room… Ladybug, is about to transform, in my room. Plagg, I think I’m gonna be sick”  
“I don’t get what you’re so nervous about… it’s not like she’s the sun and moon”  
“She is to me…” Adrien stops just inside the kitchen door way, a dazed dreamy look in his eyes as a small smile appears on his face. Plagg floats up, staring at the boy  
“What about Marinette?” It was still weird hearing Plagg call her by her name  
“What about her?” He asks honestly  
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You’ve spent the last week looking up and searching all those stupid love stories, TRYING TO figure out just WHY your kiss woke her, when it’s actually clear as day why, and all you can say is 'what about her?’?!” Adrien frowns at his Kawamii  
'That’s not what I meant"  
“Then what DID you mean? Honestly, do you feel anything for the girl at all?”  
“Of course I do, I…”  
“You?…”  
“I… i…. I don’t know… this is too confusing… I mean, I love Ladybug, but…”  
“But?…”  
“Could I really be, in…” Plagg leaned in closer. Adrien ran his hand through his hair “we should be getting back to my Lady… cookies…” Plagg sighed… he was SO close… this kid would be the death of him for sure  
“Fine, but we’re not done here” Plagg pouted “grab chocolate chip… they’re Tikki’s favorite”  
“Right, got it.” Adrien grabbed the whole pack of chocolate chip cookies, a cup of milk and some water before making his way back to his room.

*knock* *knock* *knock* “Ladybug? Are you… transformed”  
“Yeah” he gulped  
“Here, I’ll just, uh, leave these sitting right here… I’ll just step into the hall for a few minutes”  
“Thank you” she waited until she heard the door close “is he gone?”  
“Hmm… let me check” Tikki phased through the door “all clear” she whispered just loud enough for Marinette to hear through the door. Carefully Marinette opened the door, snatched the cookies and drinks into the bathroom and slammed the door. “Oo, chocolate chip” Tikki stated happily. Mari sighed as she slid back against the door, finally taking notice what exactly she had grabbed… an entire pack of cookies, a cup of milk and a cup of water.

“WHY are we just STANDING out here?” Plagg complained  
“I’m giving her time to grab the cookies before just go barging in”  
“Why? Don’t you WANT to know who she is?”  
“Of course, but… Adrien or Chat, I could NEVER abuse her trust like that… if she wants me to see… she’d tell me” they heard the door slam “she must be done”

*knock* *knock* *knock* “um.. m'Lady?”  
“Chat Noir?”  
'Oh no… why did I call her that?’  
'What in the…’ “WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW WORRIED I’VE BEEN?! SERIOUSLY, YOU COULD’VE BEEN AKUMATIZED FOR ALL I'D KNOWN, WHY DIDN’T YOU SHOW UP FOR PATROL? 5 DAYS?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW…how… DO YOU REALIZE HOW UPSET MARINETTE IS AT YOU?! YOU GO AND KISS HER, THEN JUST DROP OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH?! WHAT IS WITH YOU?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW CONFUSED SHE IS?! WHY WOULD YOU DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT?! HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE?! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"Adrien blinked at the door wide eyed  
"Uh… I… I…”  
“Where have you been? Do you realize how WORRIED she’s been about you… if the kiss meant nothing, that’s fine, but… you’re her friend… you don’t just, make a habit of stopping by every night, and then… suddenly stop… I haven't even seen you at patrol… Chat… you’re my friend, and as a friend, I’d appreciate it if you gave a little heads up the next time you plan to go MIA on me… I was seriously worried sick” she had been pacing  
“M'Lady, why?”  
“You were holding the Akuma” she sunk down against the door “you were holding the Akuma for hours… I thought-”  
“My Lady, with all due respect, I think I can control my emotions better than that” she wrapped her arms around her folded up legs  
“I… I know that” she started “it’s just… you… the minute I took it from you, you just… it’s like, a dark cloud had disappeared from over you, like… the darkness was getting to you or something, and then you just up and vanished without a trace… do you… do you have any idea how worried you made me-arinette?”  
“I... I had no idea… I’m sorry”  
“Where have you been?” Adrien leaned his forehead against the door and sighed  
“I, I’ve been here”  
“What?!”  
“Adrien, he… he’s been… helping me, with… something”  
“… … does… does this have to do with the kiss?” His eyes blew wide as he stood tall quite suddenly  
“Y-you know?”  
“*sigh* yes Chat… I know” Marinette rested her chin on her knees “I know you kissed her Chat Noir, but… you’re friends, right? I mean, if you’re gonna make a habit of dropping in after every patrol… don’t you think it’d be a good idea to tell her if you’re not coming anymore?”  
“Who said I wasn’t coming anymore?” This took them both by surprise  
“What?” Adrien began pacing in front of the door  
“It’s just… that kiss… I mean, it woke her, and… I can’t get it out of my head… I’ve been trying to figure this out… I’ve done as much research as I can, read every story I could get my paws on, I-”  
“Chat… you do realize, that, all she needed was a kiss, heck, it probably could’ve been, I don’t know, Nino or Max or something, and she STILL would have woken up… your kiss-”  
“No” he paused in his pacing, walked over to the door, and crouched down to where he assumed she might be “you’re wrong Ladybug. See… I wasn’t the first to try to kiss her”  
“What are you talking about?” She asked single toned as her grip around her legs grew tighter  
“Adrien… his friends had tried to message him, tell him that Mari got hit, and-”  
“WHAT?!” Marinette sprang to her feet, staring at the door, jaw to the floor, eyes popped wide “a-are you telling me, th-that Adrien-”  
“NO!” He shouted back, “I-i mean… he… Adrien, he didn’t even get the messages until… after we cleansed the Akuma…”  
“Oh…” she sounded… disappointed?  
“Anyway…” he continued “after he finally got the messages, he’d seen that, just about everyone that messaged him had, well… they were searching for him, saying that… that, he had to come kiss her”  
“WHAT?!” She shouted again, this time her hands flew to cover her mouth “they didn’t…”  
“They did. But the last message…”  
“Wait… how do you know all of this?” Adrien paused, and gulped  
“I uh… know, the Agreste boy… I guess you could say… we’re buds”  
“Oh… so, he told you then?”  
“I saw them my Lady, I read the myself” there was a brief silence as neither spoke. Mari had begun to pace, what were her friends thinking? She didn’t want him to figure out this way… wait, Chat said that he wasn’t the first to kiss her… but if it wasn’t Adrien, then…  
“Who… who was it? If… if you weren’t the first, and Adrien wasn’t there, then… who-”  
“Nathaniel” Mari sunk to the floor again  
“What?”  
“The last message… it was from Nathaniel… he said that, he heard a kiss would wake her up, so, he tried to kiss her, but she didn’t even flinch… he told Adrien where to find her, and… to try to kiss her” Marinette’s head was spinning…  
'Nathaniel KISSED me? When? Why can’t I remember? Wait… if he kissed me, and… i-it didn’t work, but, it worked for Chat, then… th-that must mean…’ “I'mgonnabesick” she mumbled as she held her spinning head  
“Bugaboo?”  
“ItshouldhavebeenAdrien”  
“What?” He put his ear to the door to try and hear her. She rose to her feet  
“IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADRIEN!” she shouted as she slammed her fist onto the door, causing the boy on the other side of the door to jump back at the sudden noise against his ear  
“Ow! Ladybug!-”  
“WHY DID YOU KISS HER?! YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE KISSED HER! IT WASN’T YOUR PLACE CHAT, IT WAS ADRIEN’S!” she was pacing again, Tikki looking up at her with concern in her eyes as she ate another cookie “SHE, LOVES, ADRIEN, OKAY?! YOU KNOW THAT SHE LOVES ADRIEN… WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST FIND HIM TO WAKE HER?! WHAT IN YOUR RIGHT MIND TOLD YOU IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO KISS HER YOURSELF?! SHE LOVES ADRIEN… NO, SHE’S IN LOVE WITH ADRIEN… AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS TITLE LIKE SOME MAY THINK… HECK, HE COULD BE THE SON OF A PLUMBER AND SHE’D STILL LOVE HIM!!” Plagg sat on the back of the couch, watching as his human charge just stared at the door, wheels turning in his head  
'Wait… if she doesn’t like me for my title, then… why…’ “what does she love about him then?” Marinette stopped pacing and walked over to the door again, placing a gentle hand on the door, she took a deep calming/cleansing breath and began  
“His kindness” she said with a gentle smile  
“His what?” He started walking to the door, laying a single hand on the door (unbeknownst to him, right on the other side of hers)  
“He’s kind, and sweet, very polite, generous, strong, athletic, compassionate, merciful, hard working, a wonderful friend… he has the most beautiful smile, and… his eyes… they’re like… a summers meadow, on a beautiful day, like… the first leaves of a new Spring, like… the luckiest clover you could ever find” she sighed gently, then, realizing that she wasn’t supposed to be speaking as Marinette, or revealing her crush on her classmate, she added “at least, th-thats what Marinette says” Adrien covered his mouth with his other hand as a blush began to powder his face  
“She…” he gulped “sh-she really, said, that?”  
“Y-yeah. I told you, she doesn’t care about what he does, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?”  
“R-right” 'why is my heart pounding so fast?’ At that moment Tikki flaoted up to face her girl  
“Um, Ladybug, I’m good to go whenever you’re ready” Tikki chimed in  
“Oh, right… uh, Chat, I gotta get going… you know, school and everything tomorrow, so… TIKKI, SPOTS ON!” Adrien stood tall as he noticed the handle begin to move  
“WAIT!” he quickly grabbed the handle to keep it still  
“Chat?”  
“I’ll, uh… go get Adrien for you… I mean, you did come to see him… right?”  
“Oh… y-yeah, sure” he waited until he felt the other side of the handle loose it’s tightness. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding  
“Right, I’m, uh… gonna go… go get Adrien… uh… goodbye m'Lady” she heard the door slam. She blinked, a little bewildered to comprehend what was going on. Slowly she opened the door, sticking her head out to glance around the room  
“Chat?” Just then the bedroom door opened, revealing the beautiful model boy himself “Adrien”  
“Sorry about that… I figured that, maybe you and Chat needed to talk”  
“Yeah, we did… thank you Adrien”  
“Your welcome” he blushed  
“Well” she blushed back “I should probably get going… if I’m not there when my parents wake up, they’ll freak” she smiled  
“Y-yeah, sure”  
“Thank you for everything Adrien”  
No problem" he took her hand and placed a small kiss on the back. Her blush grew times 10. Not really sure how to respond, she pulled her hand away and pushed his nose with her finger. He stared at her… her eyes widened… if it was possible for her to get any redder, she’d blend right in with her suite  
“Uh… bye” she rushed as she threw her yo-yo to the nearest pole and vaulted away. She ran home as fast as she could. 'WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST DO?! THAT WASN’T CHAT, THAT WAS ADRIEN!! WHY DID I PUSH HIM AWAY?!?!?!?!?!“

Adrien watched as she vaulted away "why did I do that?” He ran a hand through his hair 'I wasn’t Chat… I shouldn’t have done that…’  
’“You kissed her, didn’t you?” Adrien turned to see the little lord of chaos staring at him from his bed  
“… her hand” Plagg face-palmed  
“Kid… seriously?”  
“I don’t know what came over me… I just… it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, her pushing me away like that, but… I’d never… I’d never done anything like that as Adrien… I don’t know what I was expecting, but… the way she was describing me, she sounded sincere, like, they were her words, and, not Marinette’s, but… she just, pushed me away, just like always…”  
“So… what are you going to do?” Adrien dropped his head for a moment, then it shot back up, determination in his eyes  
“If that’s really the way Mari feels about me, then there’s only one way to find out… PLAGG! CLAWS OUT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Another update!  
> I love it when I have the day off of work... =^_^=  
> Anyway... had to add in from the square, so, here's a little mixture of BOTH Adrinette and Ladynoir... honestly, I haven't read a secret convo like this (where both heroes are out of costume, and talking as their hero selves to each other) anywhere else... (the closest I've found is, like the Volpina episode) I'm actually kinda surprised I came up with it... guess that happens when your brain is exhausted, but you can't go to sleep because you're at the ER waiting for over an hour for your grandma to even get seen, (Cellulitis), THEN you have to wait and see if they keep her, which they don't, so you get take her home, and by the time you walk through your door, it's 2am... but... you know... actually, I read somewhere that for creative people, the brain is most creative during those VERY early morning hours... I'm starting to believe it.  
> Okay, ranting done. Lol  
> Remember... Comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!!!!!  
> =^_^=


	15. I'd still love him/I love you (Princess)

Chat Noir vaulted through the 3am Parisian morning, running over rooftops, jumping over gaps, with only the after-storm wind hitting his serious face as his company. Finally he landed down on the street, standing in front of the closed bakery. He walked closer, never losing his expression… he HAD to know… he struck his baton to the ground and used it to vault himself up to a certain balcony. He landed on the floor of such with all the grace of a prowling cat. He walked over and peeked in through her skyroof window… just below… he saw her. Sleeping as peacefully as she had that last Akuma attack, except this time, she was laying part-way curled up on her side, her hair down and flowing over her pillow, a single strand in her face. She was beautiful. His heart skipped a beat. ‘What am I doing?’ His eyes widened as he stood to his feet. He began to pace 'I shouldn’t be here… she’s sleeping… what was I thinking, of course she’s sleeping, it’s...’ he checks his baton and frowned '3am… there’s school tomorrow, she needs to sleep… just what exactly was I going to do if she was awake? What? Walk up to her? Cup her face and kiss her senseless? Like she’s mine or something? Hold her? Embrace her? Never let her go? Gosh,’ “WHAT’S COME OVER ME?!” he slammed his hands over his mouth, and wide eyed, turn to look at the skyroof window… it was still shut. He sighed in relief, turned back around and walked over to the banister looking over Paris. He really hadn’t meant to say that out loud… ESPECIALLY not THAT loud… he was just lucky she hadn’t heard him  
“Chat?”  
…  
he spoke too soon.

She had just gotten home from her chat with Chat. She had just laid down her head for the night. She had just turned on her side and curled up just the smallest bit. She had just closed her eyes, thinking about the 2 blond boys in her life… Adrien, her friend and love of her life, and Chat, her best friend and partner… Adrien, the Prince of her dreams, and Chat, her strange, silly Kitty Knight… Adrien Agreste, the one who hadn’t kissed her, and Chat Noir, the one who had… she had just started to drift off into dreamland...  
“WHAT’S COME OVER ME?!”  
her eyes shot open as she quickly sat up, she scanned her surroundings from her spot on the bed. She looked at the clock “3:15?” She looked to the skyroof… 'there’s only one person that could possibly be, or rather… one cat’ she slowly stood on her bed, opened the window, and climbed up “Chat?”

He stiffened then slowly turned around to face her, scratching the back of his neck “ehehe, hi Princess”  
“Chat… WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS?! WE HAVE TO BE UP FOR SCHOOL IN A MEASLY 4 HOURS!!! WHAT THE CRAP CHAT?!?!?!” she shouted, eyes and fists both squeezed tight. She sighed, pinching the brim of her nose “look… i… JUST went to bed, I’m exhausted, I would like to get some sort of sleep tonight, so would you kindly tell me just WHAT you are doing here so early in the morning?”  
“What do you like about Adrien so much?” He asked without thinking… he’d stopped all thinking the moment he spun around and saw her  
“What?”  
“What do you” he took a step “Marinette Dupain-Cheng” towards her “like” another step “about Adrien” another step “so much?” He stopped, staring at her, awaiting her response  
“I… I told you already”  
“Tell me again” he took another step. Her gaze goes to the ground at her feet  
“He’s… he’s kind, and gentle… sweet, and generous… honest… he may seem like he has the perfect life, but I know he’s just putting on a show… he’s so selfless… he’ll do anything he can just to make others happy… whether it’s a friend, or his father… even if he doesn’t exactly like it… he’s so smart, and talented… sure, he has his flaws, like... he really puts himself down too much, he won’t stand up for what HE wants, but… that’s just him… that's… Adrien… what I love most though… are his eyes… even though they’ve seen pain I could never imagine, they are so full of kindness, gentleness, passion, longing… he-” she stopped. He was standing right in front of her, her breath caught, her heart skipped, and her eyes widened as they stared into his  
“What if he gave it all up? What if he quit modeling?” He knew he wouldn’t, but… he just had to know  
“Chat, I don’t love him for his job”  
“What if he decided to become a trash man?”  
“Then I’d still love him”  
“What if he let himself go? Losing his fit form, sitting in front of a screen all day?”  
“I’d still love him”  
“What if he started losing his hair?”  
“I’d still love him”  
“What if he was suddenly struck ill, being forced to spend the rest of his days in a bed?”  
“I would care for him, and I’d still love him”  
“What if he had to leave, where there was no cell service, no Internet and no mail service?”  
“I'd wait for him, and I would still love him”  
“He’s gone for years, you don’t know even if he’s still alive, or if he’ll ever come back”  
“I’d still love him, and be right here waiting when he returns”  
“What if he takes someone else?”  
“I... I’d still love him, but from afar… I could never get in the way of his happiness”  
“What if-” she put a finger to his lips, pausing the next question  
“Chat, I love Adrien with every fiber of my being… even if he loves someone else, I’ll still be there for him. Even if it tears me apart to hear him talk about another girl, I’ll still be there for him. Even if he never looks my way, I’ll still love him. Even if he goes bald and sick, I’ll be his nurse. I love him Chat. I’m IN love with Adrien Agreste.” She lowered her finger for him to speak. Neither had moved their eyes from the others. They stared at each other  
“And I love Ladybug” he stated without so much as blinking. Her eyes widened with shock as the color drained from her face  
“Wh-what?"she whispered  
"I’m in love with Ladybug. I always have been, from day one, she’s had me under her spell”  
“Bu-… y-you can’t”  
“I assure you, I can… and I do… she’s strong, independent, a born leader, smart, on her toes, kind, beautiful-”  
“Stop” she cast her eyes down as she put a single hand on his chest. She had meant to push him away, but instead it just rested there “why are you telling me all of this?” He cupped her face in his two hands  
“Because you told me about Adrien, because you’ve shown me how much he really means to you… because I wanted you to know… because…” there was no more space between them... her eyes widened at the realization of what he was currently doing… he was kissing her. She fought to keep her eyes open and her arms from raising any higher than they already were. He broke the kiss “Marinette, I’m in love with you too”.  
*SMACK!*

Chat’s hand rose to his now sore cheek, a look of shock splayed on his face “you slapped me” she jumped back  
“WHAT THE HECK CHAT?! WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU… WOULD YOU KISS ME?! I JUST TOLD YOU I’M IN LOVE WITH ADRIEN, AND YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU LOVE LADYBUG! DO I LOOK LIKE LADYBUG TO YOU?! DON’T ANSWER THAT! YOU CAN’T LOVE TWO PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME CHAT!”  
“What? I never said-” he stopped himself 'no, what I said was that I love her too, but, right after I said how I felt about Ladybug… that’s not what I meant… but… if I told her just what I meant, then… I’d have to give up my secret identity…’ “well, why not?” He asked as he crossed his arms 'I will NOT put her in danger that way’  
'WHAT THE HECK IS THIS CAT THINKING?! Okay, okay, calm down Mari… he doesn’t know you’re Ladybug… at least, I hope…’ “how can you POSSIBLY think that’s okay Chat?”  
“Well for one thing, I’m a superhero Mari, which means I have a secret identity… personally, I’d WANT any girl I love to love BOTH sides of me, so I’d expect her to love, what she assumes is two different guys…”  
“What about Ladybug?”  
“She’s a hero too, and as much as I’d love to know who she is under the mask, she won’t let me… but you… you open up to me, you put me in my place, you listen and trust me, you’ve given me a safe haven away from my everyday life. I can truly be myself around you Mari-”  
“Why did you stay away?” She was looking to her feet again, she felt guilty for some reason. He smiled at her  
“I’m sorry Princess” he stepped up to stand in front of her again “after that last Akuma… I had to know… I’ve spent the last week almost, doing all the research I possibly could… I had to know… why you woke up for me, why you… why did you kiss me back?” She blushed in embarrassment  
“I… I w-woke up just as you were about to pull away, but i hadn’t opened my eyes yet… I thought… i-i thought you were Adrien” his flat line grew into a smirk  
“So… that was for Adrien then?” She gave a barely there nod  
“Mm mhm"she hummed softly  
"Then can this be for me?” he used his hand to gently lift her chin, her eyes flicking to his “permit me Mari” he whispered as he drew closer, she gasped as his lips collided with hers. Her eye lids fluttered closed. His left arm snaked it’s way around her waist as he pulled her closer, her arms acting on their own, climbing to wrap around his neck. He kissed her with such passion and love… and then she kissed him back. Her hands had found their way to his wild hair, while his right hand found its way to the back of her head. Finally they broke apart, both feeling desperate for air. Their foreheads touched “I don’t care if you still love Adrien… the fact is that with that Akuma attack, there was only one way to break that curse… and not just any kiss would do. Marinette, I love you”. Her eyes shot open  
'Not just any kiss? Then… th-then what about Dark…. Cupid…’ she stepped back, out of his embrace, he looked sad and confused from the sudden lack of her presence… it hurt her heart to see him like that “i… i-i….” just then she heard her first alarm go off from in her room “i-im sorry… I have to go” then she spun around, and climbed in through the window as fast as she could, leaving a very anxious Cat, frozen in place, staring at the window as he heard it click locked.

“HEY MAR- , woah, girl? Are you okay?” Alya rushed to Marinette’s side with a concerned look on her face. The poor girl looked like she would be ready to pass out any minute now  
“I’m fine Alya, it’s just… I had this really awkward… dream last night, and… it kinda kept me up for the rest of the night” Alya guided her friend to her seat, then took her own  
“Okay girl, spill… what could have been so bad that it kept you up all night?”  
“It wasn’t… bad, per say, just… confusing, I guess?…” she sighed in defeat “alright… I had a dream that… i-i saw Chat Noir”  
“Okay…”  
“He had come to my banister in the middle of the night, and… he kissed me”  
“WHAT?! Dream or no dream, that would be totally AWESOME!!” Alya fist punched the air  
“Yeah, well… i-it wasn’t… not for me, anyway”  
“Why not?" both girls turned to see Adrien and Nino had been listening to Mari’s "story”… Adrien more intently “wouldn’t you like to be wooed by a famous hero?”  
“Dude, no one says 'wooed’ anymore” Adrien ignored Nino, staring right at Marinette  
“I-its not that, it’s just… in my dream, he told me th-that…”  
“What? WHAT DID HE TELL YOU?” Alya insisted  
“He told me that… he loves me” Marinette cast her eyes down, Alya immediately calmed down, giving her best friend a comforting hug  
“What’s wrong with that?” Adrien asked, generally confused as to why she was reacting to it like this  
“I… I love someone else” she whispered. Adrien could feel Nino’s eyes on his back, but he pressed forward  
“Did you kiss him back?” he pressed on  
“I pushed him away, then, I slapped him… a little hard, then… I yelled at him… but… he was so calm the whole time, like… I don’t know… he knew I was in love with... then… he asked me what I loved so much about… th-the other guy… he slowly kept getting closer and closer, until we were mere inches away. Then… he... he k-kissed me again, and…” she was blushing up a storm  
“And?” Alya asked, on the edge of her seat  
“I kissed him back” she whispered so low, you’d almost miss it. Alya gasped as Nino’s eyes grew  
“And is that when you woke up?” Alya asked. Mari paused, Adrien noticed, then she gave a small nod, biting her bottom lip. Adrien watched with curiosity as Alya had tried to reassure her that it was all just a dream and that there was nothing to worry about… why would she need to be worried about it? I mean, he knows it was more than just a dream, but he can’t let on that he knows it really happened… she’s obviously embarrassed by it, had… had he done something wrong last night? He tried to think… anything?… then he remembered a wuestioned he'd had since the night before...  
“Why did you leave him?” Mari, Alya and Nino all looked to the model-boy “i-in your dream I mean…. why did you leave him?”  
“How did you-”  
“Was it the first time he kissed you?” Her eyes widened  
“What?”  
“In your dreams… has he ever kissed you before? I mean, surely you wouldn’t just have a crazy dream like that out of nowhere, right?” Mari narrowed her eyes at the boy, suspiciously  
“No. This was the first time” just then the professor came in as the bell began to ring, signaling the start of class… she had caught it… that little slip up… and you can be sure... she was going to have a little "talk" with that Cat.

Chat Noir was on solo patrol, caught in a daydream about a certain beauty with bluenette pigtails, when suddenly he was pinned up against a random chimney, a single feminine arm holding him in place, his eyes grew “my… Lady?” She had a pouty-scowl on her face  
“What did you tell him?” Okay… now he was just confused  
“What?”  
“Adrien Agreste… WHAT, exactly, did you tell him happened between you and Marinette last night?” His eyes widened as his jaw dropped “I know Chat”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I know that you’ve been visiting Miss Dupain-Cheng after every patrol, alright?” He was beginning to sweat, he swallowed  
“Y-you do?”  
“Yes, and I know about everything that happened last night… I saw the whole thing” and suddenly, all the color has left his face  
“You… did?”  
“Yes Chat… do you have any idea how confused you made that girl? She couldn’t sleep a wink the rest of the night, so when she TRIED to talk to someone about it, trying to pass it off as a dream, low and behold… guess who gave away that he really did know you…”  
“What do you mean?”  
“… she never said that she left you… she ended the so-called dream, at your second kiss…” she was turning red, and he couldn’t tell if the blush was from anger or embarrassment… probably the former  
'Oh… this isn’t goo- wait’ “My Lady… how do you know that? She told that story at school, right? Then after school, she hung out with Alya before going to work her shift at the bakery, so the only way for you to have known that… do you go to her school?”  
“Oh?"she folded her arms across her chest as she took a step back "so your keeping tabs on her now are you?” She smirked  
“Is there something wrong with it?” her smirk fell as the blush began to grow, she turned her back to him so he couldn’t see it  
“W-well… it’s creepy”  
“No more than her entire room filled with pictures of a certain Adrien Agreste” okay… she’s going to kill him  
“Y-you still didn’t answer my question… what did you tell him?”  
“… everything” she spun around to find him mere inches from her, she gaped  
“E-everything?”  
“Adrien Agreste, knows everything that happened last night… but… he will respect her wishes, as do I, so… if she wishes to never see me again” he used a gentle hand to lift her chin “than i won’t visit her again…” her gaze met his eyes “I’ll stay away from her…” her gaze fell to his lips “all she has to do is…” she was leaning closer “say the word.” Her eyes were closing, when suddenly she felt him step back. Her eyes shot open, a flushed confusion on her face, now HE had his back to HER. “I believe, my Lady, that I shall finish my paw-trol, then, perhaps, see that a certain Knight will make it to his Princess” with that, he used his baton to vault onto the next building, continuing on with his patrol. Ladybug just stared after him  
'What the- WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST ALMOST DO?!?!?!’

Chat landed on the balcony in a silent crouch, he stood to his feet and was sneaking towards the back of the girl, standing, hair down, wrapped in her blanket  
“why did you back away?” He paused, he was sure he didn’t make a sound, she hadn’t given any indication that she had heard him “answer me Chat…” she spun around to face him “why did you back away when it was seriously clear that she was going to kiss you?” What?  
“What? Who?”  
“Ladybug! You love her, right, so why did you back away? Why didn’t you just meet her half way?” His eyes widened, then they narrowed  
“Princess… how do you know that?” She folded her arms  
“I have my ways” she glared at him “do you have any idea how confused she is right now?” Chat blinked  
“Right…” he scratched the back of his neck, averting his eyes “I forgot you knew her”  
“Does it matter? You’re on first name basis with Adrien-”  
“Wait, you know who she is?!” His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He ran up to the girl, grabbing her by the shoulders “Who Is She?!”  
“Why does it matter whether I know her or not?” She continued on, like he hadn’t just said a word. She glared at him “What’s going on Chat? You say you love her, you flirt with her, you tease her, you’re constantly trying to kiss her… and yet the ONE time, she’s vulnerable enough to actually TRY to kiss YOU… You. Back. Away… so are you really just the player everyone assumes you to be? Do you really just go around Paris… flirting with every girl in sight? Do you kiss THEM? Do you play with THEIR hearts? Do you try to confuse them so much that they can’t think straight? That they actually WANT to meet you half way? That… that…”  
“Mari” his whisper was gentle, his touch on her cheek, catching a stray fallen tear, was soft and careful, his eyes… full of love “how could I possibly think of kissing another girl, when one so dear is clearly on my mind?” Her eyes slowly closed as she allowed her head to sink into his hand, her own subconsciously raising to rest on his “Mari” she looked up at him “I want this to be clear… you are the only girl I'd ever visit. There is no one else. How could there be? Everyday I see you, every minute you’re in my mind, just the thought of your smile can cheer me up, but to actually see your smile, can set me for the whole day. I see the way other guys look at you and I just want to pull you away from their wondering eyes. I’ve never felt this way for anyone before… not even Ladybug. Marinette” he brushed a strand of hair from her face with his other hand “I’m in love with you” her breath caught as he bent down and kissed her nose. “Permit me” he whispered, a mere inch away from her lips. She nodded. That was all the confirmation he needed before he eliminated all space, pulling her closer to him as he allowed every ounce of passion in him to pass from his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping the blanket to the floor, burrying her left hand into his hair, and the right falling to grab his back through his suit. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as she could be to him, deepening the kiss. When they broke, he’d had just enough time to catch his breath, then she pounced on him, sparking another kiss. He smiled into it, making her frown a little at the lack of his lips. They pulled away  
“I-” he put a finger to her lips  
“Shh… it’s okay Princess” he kissed the tip of her nose, resting his forehead on hers “I love you” she sighed with a smile, gazing into his beautiful eyes, wait... when did she start thinking Chat's eyes were beautiful? She looked confused again... happy, but confused... Chat inwardly sighed "Well Princess... I do believe we have school tomorrow, as well as my Princess PLAYS the Princess for the next dress rehearsal, if I'm correct" he gave her a quick peck "I'll see you tomorrow... my Love" and with that he jumped over the banister, Marinette ran to the edge, letting out a sigh of relief as she saw him extend his baton, using it to fling himself up onto a fellow roof, before running off, heading to whatever place she figures he calls home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... My phone is stupid... it's constantly dying on me, making it hard for me to type out the next update, andd on top of that, I'm getting a LOT more hours at my job, so... sorry for taking so long, and thanks for your patience ^_^
> 
> anyway... what'd you guys think? good? bad (Please say no)? so-so?  
> Let me know... PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE?!?!?!?!?  
> & remember...  
> Comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!  
> =^_^=


	16. Akuma Scare

Marinette hit the snooze on her alarm… she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night after Chat had left her alone on her balcony. Her mind had been racing the whole time. She groaned as she threw her arm over her eyes and sighed “I. Love. Adrien. I do, and, if you love someone, then… you shouldn’t want to love someone else, right? So… why is it, that when ever I close my eyes… I see green eyes, disheveled hair and black leather? Why do I feel like I want to be wrapped in his arms again? Why do I wish he wouldn’t have left so soon? Why… why won’t my heart, just, slow down? W-why is it that whenever I try to think of Adrien… I think of Chat?” Tikki placed her tiny hand on top of her girl's  
“Marinette, it’ll be okay. You’re hearts just… confused”  
“Why would my heart be confused?” She moved her arm to look over to her tiny friend  
“Well… think about it… you like this boy, but he’s never noticed you… not really… then your best friend, one you’d even trust with your life, comes to you and tells you that he’s IN love with you… and… you know… he wasn’t exactly far off with the whole… the only way to wake you up ordeal…” Marinette’s eyes widened  
“What do you mean?” Tikki grinned nervously  
“… true loves… kiss?” Mari sat straight up, rushed to get out of bed and began to pace  
“No… no, no no… nonononononononono…. no, it CAN’T be true”  
“Marinette. Marinette calm down, this is a good thing” the girl stopped in her tracks and spun on her heels  
“How is… THIS… a GOOD THING?” Tikki floated over to her charges side  
“Marinette?” Said girl began pacing again  
“I mean… true loves kiss… that’s only in fairytales, but, the Akuma MADE me a fairytale, I mean, she made me Snow White, and Adrien was nowhere to be found, then Chat came instead, and he STILL doesn’t know I’m his partner, or at least… I hope he doesn’t… a-anyway, you’re telling me that the only way I could have woken up was to be kissed by true love, and since Chat woke me, th-then that would make him… my true…” Tikki nodded “b-but… it can’t… I CAN’T love him… i… a-already gave my heart to Adrien…and what about Ladybug? He said he still loves her”  
“But Marinette, you ARE Ladybug”  
“I know that, but HE doesn’t… to him, they’re just two different girls he proclaims to love… and… he told ME not to give up on Adrien… which is weird, I mean, why would a guy that likes you, tell you NOT to give up on your crush? I mean… who DOES that? I mean, it’s almost like he…” she paused, cutting herself short, Tikki perked up, flying closer to her charge  
“Almost like he, what, Marinette?”  
“I-its like, he… knows him… somehow… I mean, yeah, I know that he KNOWS him… Chat’s told me plenty of times, plus the fact that he was AT Adrien’s the other day… but… do you suppose that maybe they could be, like, I don't know, best friends or something? I don’t know… Tikki I’m so confused” she fell into her computer chair with her face in her hands. Tikki deflated with a sigh, then, seeing that the girl was too overworked to even THINK about getting ready, she picked up a light comb and started combing through Mari's bedhead. The soothing motion helped to calm Marinette down a notch. As Tikki worked to put her hair into her usual pigtails, Mari sighed “he goes to my school… we have class together… he’s never been akumatized, he was always with me fighting them… who could he be?… do you think he’s… related… to Adrien? Maybe? I mean, it's not like Chat could be his brother, Adrien's an only child, I know... I checked... so... a cousin maybe, or maybe... ” Tikki sighed  
“Oh Marinette”  
“It’s just… i-i don’t know anything about him, but, like, he knows… me?… I don’t know Tikki…”  
“Just relax Marinette, it’ll be okay, I promise. Just take a deep breath in & a deep breath out” Mari took a deep breath in, and…  
“Ugh… that stupid cat… I’m not going to be able to focus on anything else”  
“Then don’t” well, that took Mari by surprise “if you really think you won’t focus on anything else, then don’t. Worrying about it is just going to make you sick Marinette, or have a panic attack... You only have one heart, Marinette, and, you can’t force yourself to focus on other things when your brain is so on the fritz about one single subject, that’ll only cause you to mess up and make mistakes… besides, don’t you have a substitute today? So, it’s not like you’ll have any tests or anything to take, so… if you’d want to stay home today, and maybe try to figure this out, maybe even figure HIM out… I’m sure your parents would understand.” Tikki smiled  
“Thanks Tikki”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“But… really, with all the Ladybug duties lately, I've had to leave school way too often, missing too many classes, so... if I could actually be able to go to school, and not have to leave today... I really don’t want to miss anymore class time…” Tikki smiled. Just then they heard Sabine call up  
“Marinette… hurry up Dear, you don't want to be late.”

Marinette had gotten there ten minutes before anyone else. She sat in her seat, alone with her thoughts (and Tikki, hidden in her purse). Seeing as how her mind probably wouldn’t be letting her concentrate anytime soon, (and she had some time to kill) Marinette decided to pull out her drawing tablet, flip to a clear page, and mindlessly doodle until someone else showed up. She wasn’t really paying attention, even to herself. She kept replaying that past week over in her head, trying to figure out why she just couldn’t let it go. He had kissed her, yeah, okay, but… SHE had kissed HIM before and, It did NOTHING, so… why was he all she could think about? She tried to picture Adrien instead, but every time she tried, he was wearing some sort of black leather ‘I’m losing my mind… that MUST be it… I’m losing it… I mean, please… CHAT… loving ME? Just what kind of sick joke is he trying to pull? Well you know what? It’s not funny… kissing me… holding me… telling me he loves me… what sick game is he trying to play? How can he be toying with my heart like this… that kiss… meant… nothing… NOTHING!!! So WHY can’t I let It GO?! I. Don’t. Love him! I. DON’T. Love him. I! DON’T! LOVE HIM! I-’ she cut off her current thought as she finally began to realize just what it was she had be subconsciously drawing… for there, on the page of her notebook, in her own handwriting/art style, was drawn, the head-shot of Chat Noir… shading just right, a small smile barely there, his eyes begging for love and yet so full of love themselves, a small, fairly-light shading in place of blush… her eyes grew wide as she dropped her pencil and sprang from her seat. She glanced around the classroom, glad to see that it was still empty, she spotted the clock… she had about 5 minutes until anyone else would show up… she ran to the door and shut it, falling back against it as she let out a breath of relief that she was truly alone. Her eyes flicked to her notebook, still sitting at her seat, mocking her… she feels the blush overtake her as she pushes away from the door and begins to pace animatedly 'no… n-no this can’t be happening… no… NO!!! THERE’S NO WAY!!! NO! NONONONONONONONONO NOOOOOOOO!’ “NO CHANCE, NO WAY, I WON’T SAY IT NO NO” Tikki poked her head out of Mari’s bag, smiling at her chosen at the start of the familiar song  
“You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, uh,oh” Tikki sang in response, floating up into the open while motioning and swinging her hips dramatically  
“IT’S TOO CLICHE, I WON’T SAY I’M IN LOVE” Mari started making her way towards her seat again “OH, NOOOOOOO”  
“Oo, you keep denying, who you are and how you’re feeling, Mari I’m not buying, Hon, I saw ya hit the ceiling, face it like a grown-up, when ya gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?” Mari eyed the Kawamii as she stopped at her seat, looked at the drawing and flipped it over  
“No Chance, No Way, I Won’t say it No, no”  
“Give up, give in, check the grin, you’re in love” Tikki flitted around with a shake to her hips. Mari turned on her heels away from the now face-side down book  
“This Scene, Won’t play, I won’t say I’m in looooOove” Mari’s face fell into her hands  
“Your doing flips, read my lips, your in love” Mari turned towards Tikki  
“You’re way off base, I won’t say it” Tikki floated closer to her charge  
“Common and say it” Marinette turned away again with a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest, as she eyed her little friend from the corner of her eye  
“Get off my case, I WON’T say it” Tikki floated over to the journal,  
“Girl don’t be proud, it’s okay, you’re in love” and flipped it back to the half finished drawing. Mari turned to look at it, gently picked it up, and with a slight smile, brought it to her chest  
“Oh-oh, at least out loud, I won’t say-” just then the door opened. Mari’s eyes jumped to the door, then to the spot where Tikki just was (thank goodness she was hidden), then to the book in her hands. Her eyes widened as her blush grew. She slammed her journal shut and hid it behind her back, just as Alya, Nino, and the majority of the rest of her class came into the classroom. Mari rushed to sit down, hurrying to put her journal in her bag. She was doing fine, about to say “Hi” to her friends, when she notices one of the causes of her emotional trouble. Her head fell forward, her eyes on her fingers on her lap. Overcome, yet again, all manner of speech leaves her person. She was confused, she couldn't think straight, she couldn't even bring herself to raise her head as she hears her friends take their seats, their voices now right beside her, she can FEEL his eyes on her as he sits down, she hears he asks a question, but can't hear the words. She hears the concern in his voice, but can't bring herself to respond. She senses that she now has Alya and Nino’s attention as well, but can't even bring herself to look up. Alya tried nudging her, Mari can hear the frown in her best friends voice… she wants to talk, shoot her head up and tell them that she’s fine, but… she can’t… she can’t bring herself to say a single word to anyone… she’s too lost in thought… the moment she saw him… she thought of Chat… she didn’t want to think of Chat… not when Adrien, the love of her life was RIGHT THERE, IN FRONT OF HER… it confused her all the more… she felt dizzy, confused, suffocated, and nauseous, her eyes widened at the last one 'I can't do this... Tikki was right, this was a mistake… I should have stayed home today’. She was about to get up and run home, when the bell rang and the days substitute teacher, Miss Bridgette, came in and shut the door, claiming everyone’s attention. Well, everyone, except a certain Bluenette in pigtails. Mari fell back into her seat with a sigh, feeling defeated. Alya looked over to her best friend, and wrote her a note, sliding it over to her line of sight  
"Hey, are you alright?" Mari looked over the note and slid it back, shaking her head. Alya's concern only grew since she hadn't even written on the note "is it Adrien?" she added, again sliding it in her line of sight. Mari looked it over again and sighed as she slid it back over, again, unanswered. After the 5th note going unanswered, Alya determined that Mari just simply didn't want to talk to her about it... which concerned her more than anything.

"Nino, Adrien, can I talk to you?" Alya pulled the two boys off to the side between classes  
"What's up Alya?"  
"Is everything okay?"  
"I don't know... It's Mari... something's up"  
"What do you mean babe?"  
"She's not talking to anyone, heck, she wouldn't even write be back during our secret note exchange"  
"You know babe, it's not really a secret if you tell people about it. Oww" Nino rubbed his arm from being punched by Alya  
"Maybe she just has a lot on her mind" Adrien offered  
"But still" Alya started "I'm her best friend, we tell eachother everything... Why wouldn't she tell me? Something is obviously wrong, she didn't even acknowledge Chloe's snide remark this morning"  
"Isn't that a good thing?"  
"Nah bro, Mari is like, the Queen when it comes to standing against Chloe... I mean, she's like, the bravest one of the entire class, and she's not afraid to tell miss My-Daddy's-The-Mayor off"  
"She stands her ground... everyone looks up to her"  
"I... see..."  
"Man, what ever's got her down... we need to bring her back up"  
"I'll say. I've never seen her this low before."  
"Dudes, you don't think... whatever it is... she could get Akumatized for, right?" all eyes widened at the realization  
"She... sh-she wouldn't... would she?" Adrien asked nervously. the other two looked to each other then back to him  
"well, uh... she IS one of the only ones left who actually... hasn't been... Akumatized before" Nino answered, rubbing the back of his neck "honestly, I always thought she never would... she's too happy for that, but then, Rose was turned into Princess Fragrance man, and she's like, the sweetest, happiest girl you could ever meet, so we can't reall roll it out, I guess, and... the way today's going..." Alya slammed her fist down onto her other palm  
That's it. It's decided. Today is officially cheer up Mari Day. Nino, you tell all the boys, I'll tell all the girls, and Adrien, you tell the teachers... this place NEEDS her smile and enthusiasm back, and there is absolutely NO WAY that ANY of us are going to let her be Akumatized."

"Hi Mari! I made you a REALLY pretty card in Scrapbooking today, and look, I added lots and LOTS of stickers. Oo, oo, and I drew you a picture of a pretty ladybug sitting on a flower on the inside. Do you like it?" Rose waited for a response as she sat card right in front of her. Mari simply sighed, giving a small attempted at a fake smile, but couldn't hold it that long.  
"Hey Mari, my brother started a band and gave me some demos of their new song, you should hear it, it's pretty rad" Juleka tried, but Marinette just sighed, too lost in her thoughts to actually notice.  
"M-Marinette, I, uh... i-I wrote a comic, and-uh, I wanted to know if you would look over it for me. It's about Ladybug, and-uh..." Nathaniel lost his wording as he saw that she hadn't even flinched. Blushing, he all but ran back to his seat.  
"MARINETTE! WAIT UP!" Sabrina ran to catch up as Mari walked to her next class "I hope you don't mind, but, I did your geography homework for you... I also wrote, a poem that I think you might like... if not, that's okay, you can just throw it away. Anyway, I gotta go... BYE!"  
"Miss Dupain-Cheng" Mari walked over to her English Professor, Mr. Felix's desk "I just wanted to inform you tat your last essay was exquisite. In fact, I'd like to submit it to the School Paper if it's alright with you" Mr. Felix paused, allowing time for the girl to respond, so when she didn't... "how about this, you think about it, and let me know by tomorrow if you are willing to share your artistic writing skills with the school, alright? You are dismissed."  
"Hey Mari-brat" Mari took a deep breath in, bracing trying to ignore the human-wall that was suddenly blocking her path "look, I don't know WHAT is going on with you, but... you need to stop it. So... here" Chloe pushed a gift card envelope into her hand "get yourself a mani-pedi or something, or, like a new pair of shoes... those always cheer me up... but so help me, if you become an Akuma... ugh, whatever, just... go back to your bratty self, I can't pick on you when you're so down like this, just... hurry up and get better" the Chloe flipped her hair as she hurriedly walked away.  
"Marinette, I wanted to invite you to a gaming convention this weekend, they're releasing Mega-Strike XII and I was hoping to be among the first to receive a copy. You don't have to decide now, however, I will leave you with a pamphlet for your pleasure to glance through" Max sat down the pamphlet and walked up to his seat.  
"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki floated up to her charge, who was currently staring into the bathroom sink "Marinette?" said girl suddenly clutched her stomach as her eyes squeezed shut. Tikki flew to feel the girls forehead "Do you want to go to the nurse?" Mari shook her head and splashed some cold water on her face. she sighed, then used paper towels to dry her face.  
"ishouldn'thavecometoday" Mari mumbled  
"Huh?" Tikki asked  
"youwereright,Ishouldhavestayedhometoday"  
"Oh Mari"  
"Ican'tthinkstraight,I'msoconfused,Ican'tgethimoutofmyhead, what am I going to do?" Mari sank to the floor, her face in her hands as she began to cry, completely overwhelmed by the realization that hit her "Tikki,I can't be in love with two boys, and I can't tell anyone about this, that I'm in love with Chat Noir, that'll reveal I'm Ladybug, and Adrien still doesn't know I like him, and if I told anyone I was in love with Chat, that'll just start a ton of questions that I'm not ready to answer... like, how did you two meet? Do you actually know him? How do you know you love him? Does he love you back? How does Ladybug feel about this? Was HE the one who kissed you when you were Snow White? I.... I just... I can't!" Tikki patted the girls cheek affectionately  
"Marinette, it'll be okay... look, it's almost lunch, right? How about you have lunch with your friends, and if you still don't feel up to it, we can go home... Okay?" Tikki asked. Marinette sniffed, wiped her tears, and nodded. then she rose to her feet, washed her face once more, and headed out to meet her friends.

Alya insisted they all eat at the park, and insisted even more that she buy Mari an ice cream cone "Don't even try to deny me girl. I know your favorite flavor, and I intend to get it for you. You and Junior Agreste just wait here... me & Nino will be right back" with that Alya grabbed her boyfriends hand and headed over to the ice cream truck. Mari sat down beside Adrien, still looking at her lap, a thoughtful look on her face, like she just realized something she'd obviously missed  
"uh, Hey" Adrien greeted  
"Rose gave me a card..."  
"uh..."  
"Juleka gave me a CD, Max invited me to a convention, Sabrina did my homework and gave me a poem, Mr. Felix offered to publish my essay, Chloe gave me a gift card... was I really THAT obvious?" she finally looked at him. His heart skipped a beat, a soft blushed starting to creep on his face  
"well..."  
"Oh my gosh, I was" she covered her face with her hands  
"n-No, no, it's not like tha- did you just say Chloe gave you a gift card?"  
"a prepaid Visa" she held it up to show him. He scratched the back of his neck  
"Okay, I mean, yeah, it WAS kinda obvious that something was up... you wouldn't talk to anyone... you kept your head down, you wouldn't acknowledge anything... honestly, I'm not sure Chat Noir would be able to fight you if you got Akumatized" Mari looked up to him  
"you thought I'd be Akumatized?"  
"well, you're like, one of the only ones left who HAVEN'T been Akumatized yet, so... you can't really blame us for being worried... no one had seen you so down like that"  
"You've never been Akumatized either" again, his heart skipped, but for a different reason  
"I've uh, had a lot of practice controlling my emotions"  
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry everyone, I've just... I've had a lot on my mind" they both sighed. He had finally gotten her to talk. Everyone else had tried (even Chloe apparently), and yet, HE was the one to get her to talk. He felt the pride starting to bubble up in his chest... "Did you... Did you figure out what to do about the two girls?" and immediately be replaced by guilt.  
"Wh-what?"  
"You... y-you said before, that... you were in love with two girls, y-your coworker and... another... did you... what did you figure out?" he blinked dumbly  
"Oh... yeah, that" he rubbed the back of his neck  
"Did you... confess?" he nodded, blush deepening by the minute "to both of them?" he shook his head  
"to the second girl"  
"but... I thought you said... you loved your coworker"  
"I do, but... the second girl... lets called her... Vanilla Bean... I... I feel more towards her than I ever did towards my coworker, let's call her... Red Pepper"  
"Vanilla Bean?" she asked with a smirk  
"She wears it like a sweet perfume" he shrugged as she rolls her eyes  
"Okay... so..."  
"so..."  
"how did you know?" he turned to see that she wasn't looking at him again  
'oh no, don't go back to that again' "Well... actually... I... I kissed her"  
"oh..."  
"yeah"  
"and?..."  
"and... it put a fire in my stomach, a burning in my soul, I couldn't get enough of her, I needed more, and... I admit, I may have over stepped a boundary or two, but... I can't help it... just being around her, it's so hard to not kiss her the very moment I see her, I just want to jump and attack her, kiss every inch of her that I can get away with, never let her go, stand by her side, claim her as my own, protect her, grow old with her, have a family with her, and love her for the rest of my life."  
"and... you, never had these desires for your, coworker?" he frowned  
"I... I can't lie and say that I hadn't thought these things towards my La-Coworker, but... for one thing, she doesn't feel the same way. and for another, since I tasted Vanilla, I just can't bring myself to think of Pepper in the same way. I love Vanilla... I'm IN love with Vanilla. And while I still love Pepper, and will always be her partner, she never accepted my heart, so... I can fully give it to Vanilla." he was looking her straight in the eyes, the deepest green, meeting the vibrant blue, a small smile on his face, her heart skipped a few beats before she could tear her eyes away from his, spotting Alya and Nino finally making their way back to the small group, four ice cream cones in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I am SOOOOOOOO sorry this took so long to update... please, please, PLEASE forgive me... I'm on Vacation and I guess it just kinda got forgotten... sorry...  
> Okay, so... this Chapter... thoughts? Comments (I live for comments)? Shares? Kudos? Let me have 'em ;)
> 
> Thanks for your patience guys <3  
> Remember...  
> comment, Comment, COMMENT <3  
> =^_^=


	17. Once Upon a Dream

Adrien had been pacing back and forth in his room… his mind was racing between feelings of pride, confusion and horror… he’d pretty much just told the girl of his dreams that he was in love with her… well, technically she didn’t know he was talking about her, and, yes he HAD confessed to her as Chat Noir, but… for some reason, when he confessed to being in love as just plain Adrien… his heart almost pounded through his chest, and, he MIGHT have strained a muscle trying not to attack her, and kiss her on the spot… she was so beautiful, and modest, kind, sweet, and, you know… she really does smell like Vanilla. The poor boy fell face first onto his mattress and moaned “oh stop your whining, it’s your own fault for pursuing her in the first place. I mean, I DID offer to share my precious Camembert-”  
“Pla, uh don wan yur supid sheese!” Adrien interrupted, face still buried in the comforter blanket  
“Well excuse me for trying to help” Plagg snapped back, little arms crossed over his tiny chest. Five minutes later, Adrien was still face down and hadn't said a single thing more, “UGH! Fine, pout like a toddler, see if I care. If you need me, I’ll be up in the library taking a nap” then Plagg flew up and out of sight.

Chat was sitting on the Eifle Tower, staring out over the city. He rose to his feet, glancing towards where his home would be, he took a deep breath in “I have always dreamed, of a far of place, where a bright warm welcome, will be waiting for me” he turned his glance to where he thought the Dupain-Cheng bakery would be “where a smile appears, when she sees my face” his own smile grew at the mere thought of his beautiful classmate “and a voice keeps saying, that is where I’m meant to be” he pulls out his baton and jumps off the tower “I will find my way, I can go the distance” he extends his baton to the ground, using it to lower himself “I’ll be there someday, if I can be strong, I know every mile, will be worth my while” his feet meet the ground, and he retracts his baton, he looks towards the way of his cold, loveless home and sighs “I would go most anywhere, to feel,” he turns, facing towards the way of the famous bakery, he smiles and spreads his arms, “like I, belong.” He takes a deep breath, then pulls out his baton again, using it to lift him up to the closest building, then he starts running. A giant smile plastered on his face. His heartbeat keeps climbing, thumping against his chest, and yet, he doesn’t feel out of breath at all… actually, its like this anxiety is actually giving him more energy, allowing him to go faster, and faster, and faster “I AM ON MY WAY, I CAN GO THE DISTANCE” he ran, jumping over roof gaps with a single leap “I DON’T CARE HOW FAR, SOMEHOW I’LL BE STRONG” he jumped down to the street and ran “I KNOW EVERY MILE, WILL BE WORTH MY WHILE” he stopped right across the street from the bakery “I would go most anywhere, to find, where I,” he started walking to fill the gap “belong” he stood right in front of the beloved store. He looked up, then he pulled out his baton again and used it to lift him up towards the all famous balcony. He landed without a sound, grinning like the Cheshire himself, to find that Marinette was sitting on her lawn chair with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she looked into a handheld mirror, nearly on the verge of tears.  
Chat’s smile instantly fell, concern for his Princess overwhelming him. He made to quickly close the gap between them, to hold her, and reassure her that everything would be alright, but before he could move, she sighed " Look at me, I may never pass as a perfect friend, or a perfect daughter, can it be, I'm not meant to play this part? Now I see, that if I just showed who I really am, I'd just break everyone's hearts. who is this girl I see? Staring straight, back at me? Why is my reflection someone I, don’t know? Somehow, I cannot hide, who I am, though I've tried, when will my reflection show, who I am, inside?" Chat was frozen in place “Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me,” everyday,” she faced the mirror down on the chair, her eyes closed “It’s as if I play a part” she was trying to fight the tears “now I see, if I wear a mask, I can fool the world” she turned her head to the side, as if ashamed of herself. He tried to move, tried to call to her, but his feet wouldn’t budge, and his voice failed him “But I cannot fool my heart” her hands raised to rest over her heart as she gritted her teeth, her eyes squeezing together. Suddenly her eyes shot open as gentle tears started to fall, she picked up the mirror “who is this girl I see? Staring straight, back at me? When will my reflection show, who I am, inside?” She stood, and began walking towards the banister, head hanging low, walking right past Chat, as if she hadn’t even noticed he was there at all. She stopped, standing to the side of her balcony, facing towards the City of Love “I am now, in a world where I have to hide my heart, and what I believe in”. He stood, watching as the tears became more as she looked over the city “But somehow” determination suddenly shown on her face “I will show the world what’s inside my heart, and be loved for who I am” she clenched her fist at her heart as she gritted her teeth, pulling the mirror back up “who is this girl I see? Staring straight, back at me? Why is my reflection someone I, don’t know? Must I pretend that I’m," she gently sat the mirror face down as she turned away to the side "someone else, for all time?" she looked to the sky "When will my reflection show, who I am, inside? There’s a heart that must be free, to fly. That burns, with a need to know the reason, why!” Chat watched as she refused to hold back any more. She yanked the bands from her hair, and clung to the banister rail with all her might, turning her knuckles white "why must we all conceal," she bowed her head, as if in prayer "what we think, how we feel? Must there be a secret me, I’m forced, to hide?“ Her knees were trembling as she held her hands to her chest "I won’t pretend that I’m, someone else, for all time.” She raised her head to the night sky “When will my reflection show, who I am, inside?!” She sighed, resting her hands against the banister, a stray tear escaping her eye, as she whispered “When will my reflection show, who I am, inside?”  
She had begun to cry. Her hands covering her face as she stood in place, trembling like a leaf, looking to collapse in on herself at any moment now. Chat snapped out of whatever trance he had seemed to be under and rushed to her side, wrapping her in a warm comforting hug, he buried his face into her shoulder. Her eyes widened with shock, as she spun around to see a soft, warm smile on his face, her jaw dropped, what was he doing here? She hadn’t been expecting him to show, she went to ask what he was doing here, but the words just wouldn’t come. He gently lifted her chin and wiped away a stray tear from her cheek, the most gentle and heartfelt expression she had ever seen on his face “Come stop your crying, it will be alright” he smiled as he took her hand in his “just take my hand, hold it tight” he pulled her into another hug, “I will protect you from, all around you,” she shuttered as she buried her face into his leather suit, “I will be here, don’t you cry” he gently stroke her head to help comfort her “for one so small, you seem so strong” she gave a weak giggle “my arms will hold you keep you safe and warm.” He pulled back to look her straight in the eye “this bond between us, can’t be broken.” He gently cupped her face, using his thumb to catch another stray tear “I will be here, don’t you cry” she held him as he held her, her heartbeat steadying out in the embrace, a gentle smile playing on her face as her eyes drifted closed, allowing herself to find comfort in her partners embrace “Cause you’ll be in my heart, yes you’ll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more. You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say, you’ll be here in my heart, always.” He rested his chin on her head as his eyes closed in the complete peace he had found himself in “why can’t they understand the way we feel? They just don’t trust what they can’t explain, I know we’re different but, deep inside us, we’re not that different at all. You’ll be in my heart, yes you’ll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more.” He pulled away, looking her right in the eyes as he gently brushed a strand hair out of her face with his gloved hands, “Don’t listen to them, cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold, they’ll see in time, I know. When destiny calls you, you must be strong, I may not be with you, but you’ve got to hold on. They’ll see in time, I know.” His grin grew “We’ll show them together” he reached down an took both her hands into his, raising them to be between them, intertwining their fingers together “Cause you’ll be in my heart, yes you’ll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more. You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say, you’ll be here in my heart, always." she grasped him into a hug, holding him tight as he felt her smile grow against his chest. His heart beat thrummed as she let out a sigh of relief. "Always"  
They held each other for what felt like forever in the comfortable silence. Both looked to each other, their eyes half lidded as they began to lean closer together Suddenly, they seemed to realize what they were doing… blushing furiously, both pairs of eyes grew wider as they pulled away a little too quickly, trying to avoid eye contact while sending apologetic looks each others way. Suddenly a bright green light enveloped Chat. Marinette squealed as she spun around, covering her eyes "Common… why’d you stop? You were so close…” suddenly a small black cat like creature floated in front of Mari’s face. She squealed in surprise as her eyes grew wide, was this Chat’s Kawamii? “Common, if this MariChat relationship is going to work-” MariChat? “You’re gonna have to give and take a little… so what gives? What’s holding you back? Is it the clumpy way he walks?”  
“What?” She could hear the shock in Chat’s voice  
“Or the grumpy way he talks?”  
“Uhh” she’s really confused now  
“Or the pear-shaped square-shaped weirdness of his feet?” At this he grabbed both back paws and rocked in the air, causing Mari to giggle at the cuteness of it all  
“HEY!” She could just imagine Chat with a cute little pout  
“And though I know he washes well, he always ends up sort of smelly-”  
“That'syourfaultbytheway” she heard him mumble to the 1000 year old kitten  
“But you’ll never meet a fella whose as sensitive and sweet” he batted his eyes in a mock adorableness (which was totally adorable) “So he’s a bit of a fixer-upper, so he’s got a few flaws, like being a supermodel, and all those hair product bottles, that really oughta be against the law”  
“PLAGG!”  
“So he’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but this I'm certain of, you can fix this fixer-upper up with a little bit of love” Plagg started dancing in the air, Mari raised her hand to cover her giggles  
“Plagg, I swear-”  
“So tell me, is it the way that he runs scared?”  
“I DO NOT!”  
“Or that he’s socially impaired?”  
“Plagg, don’t you dare-” she could hear his worry in his voice  
“Or that he sometimes like to tinkle in the woods?” Plagg smirked, causing Mari to blush almost as red as Ladybugs suit  
“THAT’S IT! NO CAMEMBERT FOR YOU!”  
“are you holding back your fondness, due to his unmanly blondness?”  
“Actually I-” she tried to cut in  
“Or the way he covers up that he’s the honest goods?”  
“We’re never gonna get a word in, are we?” Chat asked  
“He’s just a bit of a fixer-upper, he’s got a couple of bugs, his isolation, is confirmation, of his desperation for human hugs”  
“Wait, what?” Mari looked up at the floating cat, a bit surprised at that last part  
“So he’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but here is what to do, the way to fix up this fixer-upper is to fix him up with you!” Plagg floated closer to her face “so?…”  
“Plagg just leave her alone, you already know-”  
“I like… someone else…” Mari finished shyly, avoiding looking at the destruction Kawamii. Plagg blinked the zoomed over in front of his charge, causing the boy to take a few steps back in surprise, his eyes wide as Plagg folded his little arms over his chest “so she’s a bit of a fixer-upper, that’s a minor thing, you know this infatuation, just needs confirmation, and FINALLY you can be a ‘thing’” Plagg smirked as his charges face burned bright red “so she’s a bit of a fixer-upper, her brains a bit betwixt, just make this real, tell her how you feel, and the whole thing can be fixed” suddenly Chat was pushed from behind, causing him to bump into Marinette’s back  
“Uh, sorry” Chat apologized meekly. Plagg floated around the front of Mari again, allowing both to see him  
“I'm not say you should change him, because you humans don’t really change, I’m only saying that loves a force, that’s powerful and strange” Plagg folded his arms as he directed his gaze to the boy “people make bad choices if they’re mad or scared or stressed” he directed his gaze back to the girl, throwing his arms up as his grin grew “but throw a little love their way! And you’ll bring out their best! True love brings out their best” Plagg spun with his arms stretched out wide “EVERYONE’S a bit of a fixer-upper, that’s what it’s all about! Father, sister, brother, we need each other, to raise us up and round us out”  
“Plagg, are you feeling okay?” Mari could feel his breath tickle her ear as he looked over her shoulder at his Kawamii  
“EVERYONE’S a bit of a fixer-upper, but” Plagg placed his fists on his hips and gave a singe sway “when push comes to shove…" he smirked "the only fixer-upper fixer that can fix a fixer-upper is truUUUUe… LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!” Both teens looked at him like he was nuts, until Mari started to giggle.  
Chat seemed to realize that he had been pressed up against her back and quickly made to pull away. Plagg rolled his eyes, then pushed Mari over towards him. She squealed as she began flailing, without thinking, Chat jumped in front of her to catch her. Plagg smirked as he floated to see their reaction… his smirk fell however, when he saw that she still had her eyes closed. He sighed as he face-palmed “you know… you CAN look… he’s still transformed” her eyes shot open as she glanced up at the boy still holding her. Plagg rolled his eyes as he flew away. They both blushed at the sight of each other  
“So…” Chat began as she stood on her own again  
“So…” Mari mimicked while nervously rubbing her arm  
'So… Plagg is out, and… I’m still transformed… okay… must be a dream’ Chat went to tell her, but his words caught 'okay, great… apparently, we can’t talk… hmm… how can I get it across without talking?’  
“Hey, just saying, if you guys are like, i don't know, trying to figure out how to talk… try singing" the two teens looked over to see the Kawamii sitting in the lawn chair with a rather large tub of popcorn. Chat glared at the little destroyer, trying to lecture the little Discord diety, then sighed in defeat as his voice, yet again, had failed him… 'okay, so… if i have to… sing… then what can… ah-HA!’ Chat took both her hands in his, directing one to sit atop his shoulder, while he kept the other in his gloved palm  
"I, know, you, I walked with you Once, upon a dream” Chat began directing her into a soft box-step, following the song “I, know, you, the gleam in your eyes is so, familiar a gleam” he looked into her eyes, realization quickly showing through those beautiful bluebells as she stepped to keep up “and I know, it’s true, that visions are seldom, all they seem, but if I know you” he lifted her hand with his, allowing her to spin “I know what you’ll do” he brought her back in “you’ll love me at once, the way you did once, upon, a, dream” they continued to dance in silence.  
Mari looked up to him, his eyes as soft as a cloud, his smile, as genuine as gold, she got the message, this was a dream… although, honestly, it felt more like a dream of a dream, and she was loving every moment of it… well, aside from the part where she was feeling guilty about secretly being Ladybug again, but the moment that Chat had embraced her… she couldn’t help it, she WANTED to tell him what she was feeling, but, then she didn’t… it was scary, finally saying it back… maybe she could just... hint at it… “A dream, is a wish, your heart makes” Chat's cat ears stood tall as he intently listened to every word while they danced “when, you’re fast asleep” she rested her head on his chest “in dreams, you can lose, your heartache” he nuzzled his face into her hair, enjoying the sweet smell of her rose shampoo as they slowed their dancing down to just swaying"whatever, you wish for, you keep. Have faith, in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is bleeding" Chat’s grasp on her tightened just the slightest “if you keep on, believing…” she pulled back, looking him in the eye as she gently cupped his face with her tiny hands. They started to grow closer “the dream that you wish” closer “will” closer “come” their eyes both stared to close “true” as the distance between them was suddenly clo-

Marinette woke with a start as her alarm started going off… she had fallen asleep at her desk again, working on, yet another project… she groaned as she stood, walked to her alarm, slammed down the snooze button, and fell face face first into her bed. “Marinette?” Tikki floated above her charges head. Marinette rolled over onto her back and sighed  
“It felt so real Tikki… its like… I was crying, I… I was kinda feeling guilty again… you know… about…” Tikki smiled in understanding, it wasn’t the first time Marinette had felt remorse for always having to lie to her friends and family, and it most certaintly wasn't the first dream the poor girl had had because of the guilt… she really was a good girl “well, I was standing, looking over the city from the balcony, for some reason, i was sing Reflection… you know, from Mulan? Well… the extended version anyway, when suddenly, Chat came and hugged me from behind, trying to calm me down, he looked into my eyes and sang You’ll Be In My Heart, telling me that he’d never leave me. It was like… we could only sing… we couldn’t talk…” she sat up on her bed, pulling her knees to her chin as a slight blush began to form on her cheeks"he wiped away my tears, looked me in the eye, wrapped me in his arms, I felt so warm and safe and at peace in his arms, I… I w-wanted to k-kiss him" Tikki’s smile grew as Mari’s blush grew “w-we… started to lean towards each other” Tikki floated closer to the girl, clasping her tiny hands together in anticipation “then we realized what we were doing and pulled away from each other… then his transformation glowed, and we jumped apart. I spun around and covered my eyes, then suddenly this black, cat-like thing… i think it was Chat’s Kawamii-” Tikki’s smile fell into slight irritation, her little arms falling to her side as her eyes began to narrow  
“What?”  
“started singing Fixer-Upper," Mari continued, as if she hadn't noticed the change in Tikki's stance "asking me why I didn’t like Chat, asking if it was because he liked hair products, or because he was blond, or because he was a supermodel… anyway, I told him it was because I liked someone else, then he disappeared behind me, and i heard his muffled voice talking to Chat, then suddenly Chat slammed into my back, and, I think Chat called him Plagg, was in front of us again, dancing as he finished his song… then he told me that Chat was still transformed, so I turned to see if he was telling the truth, and… kinda got lost in his eyes for a moment… suddenly we started dancing as Chat sang Once Upon A Dream… we kept dancing, even after he finished singing, so… i-i sang back… A Dream Is A Wish… then w-we were about to k-kiss… when… the alarm woke me up.” Mari’s face fell into her knees… her face was feeling very warm all of the sudden. Tikki however…  
“Imgonnaskinthatcat…” she whisper-mumbled through gritted teeth, her little hands balled into little fists, her eyes squeezed shut tight  
“Tikki?” Tikki’s eyes snapped open to see a very concerned look on her charges face. "Are you okay?" Tikki took a deep, cleansing breath in through her nose, held it for a second, then let the stress leave with it’s escape through her mouth.  
“Sorry Marinette, don’t worry, I’m not upset with you or anything… it’s a Kawamii thing… as for your dream… how do you feel about it?”  
“Honestly… I don’t know…”  
“MARINETTE! IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP DEAR! BREAKFAST IS READY!” Her mother called up from the kitchen  
“COMING! Look… can we, maybe,-”  
“Don’t worry Marinette, we can talk about it later if you’d like, maybe after school?”  
“Yeah… sounds great” with that, she jumped out of bed, and into her latest design before heading down to breakfast with her parents.

-

Adrien’s eyes shot opened as he laid on his back in his bed… his eyes coming into focus, it finally hits him… He pulls his pillow out from under his head and slams it onto his face “UUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!” Plagg moaned as he floated up, rubbing his eyes sleepily  
“Ugh, Adrien… what’s your problem?”  
“.. ju … drm”  
“What?” Adrien pulled the pillow away from his red face and sighed  
“it was only a dream…” he sighed once more. Just then his alarm started to blare, without looking, he slammed his hand on the snooze button, sighed once more, then got up to get his morning shower and start his morning routine. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged, damp haired, pants on, shirt clutched in his hand, and his towel hanging around his neck. He sat on the edge of his bed… and fell back with a sigh “I… I almost kissed her… Plagg, how am I going to get through this? How am I even going to be able to look at her without turning into a complete moron?” Plagg smirked  
“My, my, my… how the tables have turned” Plagg chuckled as he floated to the side, avoiding the pillow that had been thrown at him  
“Shut up Plagg” Adrien mumbled. Plagg’s smirk fell as he crossed his arms  
“So why didn’t you just kiss her? I mean, she pretty much told you it was a dream come true”  
“I don’t know, I-” 'wait… i never told him she said anything’ “I never said she said anything” Adrien leaned up on his elbows to see the lord of chaos’ eyes widened in… was that, panic?  
“Well, would you look at the time, you may want to get a shirt on and finish drying your hair of you want to make it to school on time and see lover-girl” Plagg, zoomed away, avoided another pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that makes... what, 6 Disney songs in one chapter? lol, I am pleased with it =^_^=  
> Anyway, for those of you who never actually watched through the credits at the end to even HEAR this part... here's the full version of Mulan's Reflection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0lG8YorBsU  
> also,  
> Hercule's I can Go The Distance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgnHF2CwrPs  
> Tarzan's You'll Be In My Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVaUcE4kAM  
> Frozen's Fixer-Upper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWtTdRmSrYQ  
> Sleeping Beauty's Once Upon A Dream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbHShUnwxY  
> and Cinderella's A Dream Is A Wish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjIssqHQJ6o
> 
> Okay, so that totals out to 9 songs, including...  
> Snow White's Wishing Well/One Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwBWZ3z1I6w  
> Sleeping Beauty's I Wonder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCOmMyA9rAM  
> and Hercules' I Won't Say I'm In Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl0DMTlwLw4
> 
> Now, for the challenge... (cracks knuckles)... I really want to keep this up, incorporating to Disney songs that is (it's kinda fun), so... Which song should I use next? A solo for Mari? Lady bug? Chat? Adrien? Plagg? Tikki? A duet? should someone else sing it TO them?  
> In short... Tell me your favorite Disney song, and possibly who you can see singing it, & I'll see about possibly incorporating it.  
> Thank you Lovely's for ALL of your patience and support, and remember...
> 
> PLEASE, please please please, PLEASE!!! Comment, like, kudos, Share...  
> tell me what you think, I thrive on comments ^_^


	18. Kawamii Time

“Alright class, I’d like for everyone to line up, single file, as we have a guest speaker today. Please refrain from bringing any extra bags or your phones as each of you will possibly be having your hands full, and the last thing we need is for anyone to lose anything… Everyone please leave your things where they are, and head the the main courtyard.” Marinette’s hand shot up  
“Uh, Miss, may I use the restroom real quick, please?” The teacher sighed  
“Alright, but please hurry. Last one out, please lock the door so we won’t have any concerns about theft” she narrowed her eyes at Chloe and Lila who both looked like they hadn’t even noticed she was even in the room. Marinette ran out the door. Then everyone else rose from their seats and lined up, heading to the Courtyard. “Adrien? Aren’t you coming?” Adrien raised his phone, a sheepish smile on his lips  
“I’ll be there in a moment, I have to text Nathalie to tell her I won’t have my phone” the teacher sighed again  
“Alright, but please hurry and meet us there.” Then she walked out the door. The moment she was gone, Adrien rushed to look into his bag, finding Plagg fast asleep. Adrien sighed as he began to poke at the chaotic-being. “Plagg, Plagg wake up”  
“No” Plagg growled as he batted away the nagging finger of his charge  
“Plagg, common, we have to go”  
“Go awaaay, I’m sleepiiing”  
“I’m being serious here Plagg, I can’t bring my bag, common” Adrien held his overshirt open. Plagg peeked one eye open  
“Is there an Akuma?” Adrien looked taken aback  
“No…” Plagg rolled back onto his side, closing his eyes as he snuggled back into his sleeping position  
“Then go away. If there’s no Akuma attacking, then shoo. I’m tired and I’m not sleeping in your stupid shirt. You’ll be fine. If there’s an attack, you know where to find me”  
“Camembert?”  
“Too tired” well that was a shock, Plagg NEVER refused the dreaded cheese  
“But Plagg-” Plagg let out a growl as he whipped his head to face the boy, tired eyes snapping open  
“Look Kid, your stupid dream went and kept me up all night, so, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you just left and let me sleep” he glared up at the boy.  
‘What does he mean, MY dream kept him up all night? Was I talking in my sleep?’  
“*pft*stupidkiddidn'tevenkissthegirl” Plagg mumbled as he snuggled back onto his side  
“I’m sorry, what?” Plagg didn’t respond, just raised his paw to motion for the boy to zip the bag. Adrien sighed, zipped the Kawamii in and headed for the door… “M-Marinette”.

—

For once, she actually wasn’t lying about going to the bathroom. On her way back to drop off her purse, Tikki had flown up to hide in her hair on her shoulder “Marinette, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay in the room during your guest speaker” Mari paused her next step  
“What?”  
“I’m sure everything will be fine, plus, there’s something in the room that I’d actually like to check out. If you happen to need me, you know where to find me”  
“I-” Mari started walking again “I don’t know… are you sure that would be okay”  
“Positive” Tikki confirmed with a genuine smile.  
“So… what’s so important that you want to be left alone?” Mari teased with a raised brow  
“Honestly… Chat’s Kawamii” Mari paused again  
“Wait, What?! Tikki-”  
“Plagg already knows who you are, and no, he will not, CAN not tell Chat that you’re Ladybug… so don’t worry, okay?”  
“Okay, if you say so…” she had just reached the door, Tikki flew into the purse as Mari reached to open the door, but before she could touch the handle…  
“M-Marinette”.  
“Adrien… you’re still here?”  
“Yeah, just, uh… had to put my phone away” he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Mari giggles  
“Well, let me sit my purse down, then we can head to the Courtyard together” she smiles shyly  
“Y-YEAH! That sounds great” his grin only grows. Mari giggles one more time as she sits her purse at her seat, then she walks over to Adrien, they make sure the door is locked, and head down to the Courtyard.

—

Tikki waited until she heard the door click shut, then gave the two teenagers a couple extra minutes to get down the hall before she phased out of Marinette’s purse. She floated in place with her little arms crossed as she gazed over the classroom until she found what she was looking for… she let out a huff of breath, then floated over to the gym bag sitting on Adrien’s desk.

–-

He was having a wonderful Camembert filled dream as he curled up into his cute little ball, sleeping peacefully on the (lavender-smelling) clean gym clothes in the dark of the zipped up gym bag. Plagg moaned as he tried to burry his head further into his makeshift bed as the light had begun to fill his surroundings. Suddenly, he felt someone poke him 'i swear, if that Kid doesn’t leave me alone… I’ll bite him’  
“Daw, did somebody stay up too late invading dreams again?” Wait a minute… he knew that voice, and it most certainly wasn’t the boys, strong, fierce, sweet, a force to be reckoned with, sarcastic… his eyes shot open as he sprang into the air, the biggest smile you could imagine plastered on his face  
“TIKKIIIIIII-” Tikki held her hand out, pressing his forehead, keeping him at arms legnth (much like Ladybug with a certain Kitty partner)  
“Don’t you 'Tikkiiiii' me mister” she folded her arms as her expression shifted to that of a scolding mother “just what EXACTLY were you doing in MY charges dream last night?” Plaggs Cheshire grin fell as he nervously began scratching the back of his neck (sounds familiar)  
“Eh heheh, wh-what ever do you mean Tikki? Me? In YOUR charges dream? Just what are you accusing me of?”  
;“Oh you know EXACTLY what I’m accusing you of” she poked him in the chest “Mr 'Tikki leave their dreams alone, will ya’ 'it's too draining for our little bodies' or how about 'you'll sleep through the next attack if you keep it up'” Tikki’s small fists landed on her tiny hips “you hypocrite! At least when I enter their dreams, it’s my own charges, and only to help steer them away from a traumatizing nightmare.”  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about”  
“Oh puh-lease” she rolled her eyes “I know for a FACT that Mari should have NO IDEA about you, and yet, she was able to describe you to a T… as for some reason she saw YOU in her dream last night... why is that?” Plagg blinked, then smiled dumbly  
“Camembert?” He offered. Tikki slapped the cheese out of his hand as she floated into his personal space, his little cat ears falling against the back of his head  
“NO! Just tell me WHY you invaded MY charges dreams… how did you even get in her room without me sensing your presence?”  
“I never left the Agreste prison, and I’ll have you know, that if I DID happen to invade anyone’s dream, not saying I did though… it was my boys” Plagg defended. Tikki blinked as her arms fell to her side, all traces of anger wiped away, slowly her hands raised up to cover her mouth in shock  
“They had a joint dream?”  
“That I can neither confirm, nor deny-”  
“ PLAGG!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW LONG IT’S BEEN SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANY OF OUR KIDS? FIVE GENERATIONS PLAGG… FIVE!!! AND YOU WENT AND SAW IT WITHOUT ME?!” he covered his ears to block out some of her excitement. She floated back a little, giving a little pout as she crossed her little arms and turned her back to him “no fair”. He chuckled as he floated up beside her  
“Aww Tikki, it’s not like that… com'ere” they closed the gap in a looooong, overdue hug  
“We could have seen each other sooner if you would have told me”  
“Aw, but then it would have only been the dream us, and, i like your real hugs better”  
“Oh? So you invaded their dream just so you could see me in person? Rather thoughtful” she teased  
“I take no credit or blame for anything, but… if I DID happen to invade a certain joint dream, then maybe I was just trying to push them in the right direction, maybe I’m tired of the facade, maybe I just want them to just tell eachother the truth for once, and maybe, just maybe I saw your girl actually looking safe and happy before they, maybe pulled away from a kiss, so.. maybe I decided to try and get her to talk-”  
“ she told me that you sang Fixer-Upper” she smirked  
“Well, i don’t known WHERE she got THAT idea from… can you imagine? Me? Singing? A Disney song no less-”  
“Last I recall, you always had a thing for musicals”  
“AndlastIrecalledyoupromisedtoneverbringthatupagain” Plagg mumbled with a pout. Tikki giggled  
“Relax Plagg, I’m just teasing… in all seriousness though… a joint dream… they must be getting pretty close”  
“I know… but not close enough… seriously… he couldn’t even kiss her in a stupid dream… IknewIshouldhavegonewithKissTheGirl”  
“What was that?”  
“Nothing” the two halves of a whole sat together in a comfortable silence. “It’s great to see you Tikks” Tikki looked to her partner with a smile, as she reached over and hugged her other half  
“I’m happy to see you too Plagg” he hugged her back. “So,” Tikki began as she pulled away “is your charge actually aware of what exactly happened last night”  
“No… i may be the lord of chaos, but I’m not a monster, the boy would flip out so much he’d probably be locked up… he can figure it out on his own… yours?” Tikki shook her head  
“No, and unless she figures it out on her own, I’m not telling her either… as far as she knows, it was just another dream with Chat” Tikki shrugged. Plagg’s grin turned smug  
“Oh? And does she dream of him often?” He asked as he haggled his eyebrows, Tikki quirked one of her own  
“That depends… how often does your boy dream of my girl?” Plagg presumed a thinking man pose  
“… hmm… do day dreams count?” Tikki giggled  
“So he’s that taken with her?”  
“Oh, you haven’t heard the half of it” they sat together in comfortable silence after that, content just to be together. Plagg watched as Tikki’s smile began to fall  
“She really does love him, you know, she’s just… so confused… she’s been in love with Adrien since day two, and-”  
“What happened to day one?”  
“Two words… gum incident.” Plagg looked at her confused  
“I thought that was all cleared up”  
“It is, but the first day, Mari kinda thought he was a bully like Chloe” Plagg gasped and threw his little paws/hands over his heart  
“MY kitten, anything like, like HER? Never” Tikki rolled her eyes as he crossed his arms  
“We know that now silly, he really is a sweet boy, but that was her first impression of him… he redeemed himself though, when he apologized and offered her his umbrella, aka, the second day. That being said, she’s been in love with him for ages, but… when he started saying that he was in love with two other girls… it broke her Plagg… she… she cried herself to sleep for nights… then Chat comes and says he loves her, after he pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet I’ll mind you… she was so worried, and honestly, she’s still confused… she put the whole Dark Cupid incident behind her, so when she woke up from FairyGodmother to Chat kissing her… it didn’t really phase her… after though, when he came back and kissed her again, and told her it was because HE kissed her that she woke up… she was so hurt, and confused, she felt betrayed… he KNEW she liked Adrien, and yet, he had the NERVE to kiss her and claim it was true love-”  
“Adrien literally IS Chat”  
“I know that Plagg, I’m just showing you Marinette’s point of view… and then Adrien asking for relationship advice from her… ABOUT her… BOTH of them-”  
“He still doesn’t know that”  
“And then he STILL continues to flirt with her as both Adrien AND Chat… The point is… when she actually finds out who he is… he MAY not be happy with the outcome…” they were both silent for a few seconds  
“What are you saying?”  
“I know my girl… when she finds out, she’s more than likely going to feel used, I mean, he’s talked about his 'coworker’ and his 'friend' so much… she doesn’t think she stands a chance… when she figures out out she’s both-”  
“She’ll think he was just using Marinette to get closer to Ladybug” Plagg finished in a low tone, worry stretched across his face. Tikki nodded solemnly “but… he’s laying off flirting with Ladybug… heck, the kid even DENIED a KISS from her”  
“I know Plagg. I-” whatever Tikki was going to say next was cut short when they heard someone run into the door, then the jingle of keys trying to open the door, with at least three voices muffled from the other side. Tikki and Plagg both flew back into their hiding places, JUST before the door flew open, Alya falling face first in all her hurry to open the door. She sprung back up and ran to her phone, then she ran out the door, only stopping for a moment to look back at her two lost-for-words friends as they grabbed their bags  
“Well, are guys coming? You HAVE to be there when Ladybug and Chat Noir save the day. Maybe you two could actually mee-”  
“Sorry Alya, I have to stay away from Akumas… father’s orders… especially after the whole, Simon Says incident” Alya rolled her eyes as she moaned  
“Fine. And what’s your excuse little Missy?” Alya asked an obviously nervous Marinette, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised  
“Uh, I uh” Alya grabbed her by the arm and started pulling her towards the door, Mari knew she had to get away and transform, but Alya’s grip was tight… she panicked “I’M STAYING WITH ADRIEN!” Everything stopped, Alya slowly turning around to face her friend “i-its just… y-y-you know how scary those Akuma are, and… i-I’m easily scared, so… i just thought…”  
“Say no more girl, I gotchya” Alya winked as she let go of Mari’s wrist “ I’ll see ya later Mari, bye lover-boy”  
“W-Wait, Alya, that’s not what I-” aaaand… she was gone. Mari sighed as she spun around to see an extremely red, blushing Adrien standing in the door way. Mari gulped and started making her way back to their homeroom. Inside the two stood in a rather awkward silence

'I’m alone with Marinette… I’M ALONE WITH MARINETTE!!! I… I’m... alone with Marinette… how am I supposed to transform if she’s in the room? There is NO WAY I could ever face her again if she found out that I’m Chat Noir… n-not after… oh my gosh, what have I done? I totally screwed myself over, she can’t know, it’d put her in danger, and I would NEVER-’  
“I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!!!” Marinette suddenly sprang to grab her purse and run back towards the hall, however, Adrien was quick to grab her wrist. Surprised, Mari turned to look at the boy with wide eyes  
“WHAT? You already went, and you literally JUST told Alya that you were too scared to go with her, and I admit… I am too” 'scared of what could happen to you’ “I’m not going to just… let you go and endanger yourself like that” 'if anything were to happen to you…’ “at least let me-”  
“Adrien… I’m sorry. The truth is… n-no… I’m not scared, but… I just couldn’t go with Alya, besides, Chat Noir and Lad… anyway, Chat should already be there… L-Ladybug will be there soon, but… I’ve really got to go… I’ll meet you back in the classroom when I’m done” she pulled her arm free and sprinted for the bathroom.  
“MARI-” he reached out his hand as if to grab her again, but she was already half way across the hall. 'Dang that girl is fast' Adrien sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Once she was out of sight, the words  
“Chat should already be there”  
played through his mind… realization in 3… 2… “Oh, right, the Akuma… Plagg, TRANSFORM ME!”

\--

A hop, skip, and a jump later (literally) and Double Dutch Three were currently tied up in their own jump ropes, back-to-back-to-back, struggling to get out. Marinette walked over to the triplets and plucked the small matching 'DDT’ buttons from off the three’s matching shirts, tossed them down to step on them, and… nothing. 

'Hmm… I know for a fact this is where the Akuma, or, Akumas? Umm… maybe they’re too small to break by stepping on them, so how could…’ “Chat”. With a sinister grin she turned to look for her feline companion, but she couldn’t see him. “Chat where are you?” She called out. She listened for a little while, then just when she was about to give up, she heard what sounded like… singing? Checking to make sure the three boys were still secure in their unbreakable ropes (thank you Hawk Moth), she reached down and grabbed the three buttons before heading to follow the song.

“… So he’s a bit of a fixer-upper, so he’s got a few flaws, hmm hmm hmm hmhm model, hmm hmmhm product bottles, that really oughta be against the- oh, Ladybug” and, she found him… tied upside down, in another jump rope, slowly spinning in place, hanging from a light post… of course he was.  
“Hi Chat…” She crossed her arms as a playful smirk crossed her face as she eyed the rope again “kinky”  
“Eh, you know, jumped to help, but, it seems they just wanted me to hang around” he flashed a toothy grin at her. Ladybug just shook her head as she rolled her eyes  
“Hold on Chat, I’ll get you down” with that she walked over and loosened the rope, causing Chat Noir to fall, like three feet onto his head. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off.  
“Why thank you Ladybug” Ladybug waited for it, it was the perfect opportunity, her finger was itching to push his nose away after the sure to come flirty pun… but it never came… her smirk began to fall  
“You missed an opportunity there”  
“Huh?” Why does he look confused?  
“What? No 'you turn my world upside down’ or even 'you’ve got me falling for you’? That was a perfect opportunity there… why didn’t you take it? Are you feeling okay?” She reached out, placing a hand on his forehead, feeling for a temperature. Chat chuckled as he pushed her hand away  
“Sorry LB, I didn’t realize you liked my puns so much” he quirked a playful smirk. Ladybug began to blush  
“I-I don’t” her blush grew “i-its just, not like you, you know?…” okay, this was getting awkward… change the subject, Change the Subject, CHANGE THE SUBJECT “so… Frozen, huh? Never pegged you as much of a Disney fan” Chat blinked as Ladybug mentally face-palmed herself…  
“Oh, uh… I’m, I’m not really, i just… its been stuck in my head all day…”  
“How come?” Chat chuckled as he rubs the back of his neck  
“It’s stupid really, i had this dream where I saw a friend I lo-know, being too hard on herself, naturally I reached out to try and comfort her, then my Kawamii detransformed me and started singing that song... for some reason, and… its crazy really- hey, what’s that?” Chat asked, looking at her closed hand, she blinked at him… was he about to say he lo-  
“Oh, right, the Akuma… I need you to use your Cataclysm to destroy them… they’re too small for me to break” Chat quirked an eyebrow  
“Is that a thing?”  
“Apparently” she shrugged and handed the three buttons to her partner as he called for his special power, releasing the three purple Akumas from their hiding places. Ladybug quickly used her yo-yo to capture the trio in one fluid swipe, releasing three pure white butterflies with a sweet “bye-bye pretty butterflies” then she walked back to the trio still trapped on the ground as they turned back into the triplet guest speakers, picked up the Lucky Charm, and threw the empty bag of marbles up in the air with a strong “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” cleansing and righting everything to the way it was before. She bent down and unwrapped the three brothers from the now harmless jump ropes "Don't worry, everything will be alright, you're all the guest speakers at the local high school, right? I wanted to let you three know that everyone was having a great time learning to Double Dutch, you guys really are great teachers"  
"Thank you, Miss, um..."  
"Ladybug"  
"Right... Ladybug, should have guessed with the spots... I'm Daniel, and these are my brothers, Darin and Tom, and yes, we are the speakers at the high school, however, I'm not sure exactly... where are we right now?"  
"Well, you see... you got Akumatized... all three of you... right now, we're sitting right by the Sien" the trio of brothers' faces paled as their eyes widened "Don't worry... it happens often, no one will think any less of you" finally Darin spoke  
"I've... I've read about these... Akuma... so... how did we become..."  
"Unfortunately, that would be one of the students... Chloe... don't feel bad, she holds the record for creating the most Akumas..."  
"What was our name?" Tom asked  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
"Our Akuma name... what was it?"  
"Why do you want to know?" Chat asked as he walked toward the group  
"It's just, that, we may have won first place in France, but that means we're up to compete for the World's Cup, and I've been trying to find a good name for our group other than just 'Daniel, Darin and Tom'" Ladybug smiled as she and Chat reached out to help the three up  
"It was, Double Dutch Three" the three brothers looked at our heroes  
"That's PERFECT" Darin shouted  
"I agree" Daniel added  
"It even goes with the buttons mom made us" Tom chimed in  
"You mean our initials?" Daniel asked with a smirk. Ladybug giggled as she watched the brotherly banter continue until her earrings rang their next to final warning, giving her enough time to fist bump her partner (pound it) and zoom away, back to the bathroom before she detransformed back.

\--

“Tikki… he… he… Ch-Chat w-was singing the song from my dream… b-but, he said it was from… HIS dream… he was comforting a girl, his Kawamii appeared, model, product bottles… that was MY dream… so HOW could it be HIS?” Marinette, after having time to go over the last hours happening, was pacing back and forth in her room, poor Tikki trying to find just what exactly she could tell the girl, she hadn't expected him to actually blow his cover like that... even if he didn't realize it at the time  
“Marinette-”  
“But there is NO WAY he should have, COULD have known anything about it… I mean, YOU'RE the ONLY one I've spoken to about it...”  
“Marinette-”  
“And yet, he described it to a T… a-as if it really WAS his…”  
“Mari-”  
“But… it was MINE, i know it was mine, it had felt so real…”  
“Marinette-”  
“But… the way he described it… he couldn’t have… could he? But, for he and I to have had the same dream… the EXACT dream, at the EXACT same time… there’s no way, unless…” she paused her next, eyes widening as she raised her hands to cover her mouth “a… sh-shared dream? Tikki… is… is th-that even possible?” Tikki sighed as a small smile formed on her face  
“I’m glad you figured it out on your own, honestly, I wasn’t going to force the information on you just out of nowhere, but yes, joint dreams are a thing, although, not normally…” Mari looked puzzled as she sat down in her rolling chair, intently listening to the little creator “you see… Plagg and I are a pair, cut from the same stone, we belong together, so our Miraculous belong together, and, most the time… our charges belong together. Here’s the thing… Plagg and I can already communicate through our dreams, however, we can’t actually see each other… kinda like a phone call, just in total darkness… we can also enter into our charges dreams at times, you know, to help teach them a life lesson, or help them to escape a nasty nightmare-”  
“Is that why I haven’t had any nightmares for a while?”  
“Well, yes and no… yes, I have gone in and helped you a few times, but even in your dreams you are getting stronger, so I haven’t had to step in for a while now… which, honestly, is good… see, it takes a lot of energy for us to enter into your dreams, since, technically, we are not sleeping, so we’re often extra tired the next day.” Mari thought on this  
“Okay… so you can enter into my dreams…” her face suddenly became beet red as her eyes widened with fear and concern  
“I’ve only entered after either a nasty Akuma or an extra rotten day” Tikki rushed to add “I know you’re still a teenager, and believe it or not, you’re not my first charge to possibly have 'dreams’ you’d be embarrassed about sharing” Mari blushed as she looked away, Tikki giggled “relax Mari… i didn’t see anything” Marinette let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding  
“Okay, so… about the joint dreams?”  
“As partners, you are bound to grow closer together, and the closer you get, the more you share… including dreams…”  
“So, y-you’re saying that… Chat and I… w-we’re getting… c-closer? And… thats why, we had a shared dream? Just how close do we have to be?”  
“Pretty close… actually… you two are the first pair to have a joint dream in nearly… five hundred years… it’s usually during these dreams that Plagg and I can actually see eachother face to face, as well as communicate with both holders at once… and the closer you get, the more you can control when they happen… its a secret way to communicate, it can be extremely helpful if the one is ever in dire need, like if they get captured or are in danger… however, you can also use it if you just miss them, or want to talk privately without fear of anyone else overhearing” Tikki floated over to sit on the desk in front of her girl, watching her as she took everything in  
“Tikki… you said its been five hundred years… have… what made them so different from the rest?” Tikki looked up, a gentle joy in her eyes  
“They were in love”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!  
> Okay, so... I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this one out, and I want to thank all of you who have been patiently waiting...  
> It's officially the Holidays, and as such, being a cashier at a local Grocery store, it has been... hectic, to say the least, and I'm STILL not done with my Cmas shopping yet (getting there though) PLUS I have my bills, then there's THREE birthdays coming up... ;)  
> So... yeah... I'm going to TRY and not take so long for the next chapter... but seriously though... THANK YOU ALL for all your support, encouragement and patience... Love yall <3  
> And remember... PLEASE, please please please, PLEASE!!! Comment, like, kudos...  
> tell me what you think, I thrive on comments ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

Ladybug zoomed through the city of lights, swinging from building to building as her thoughts ran through her discussion with Tikki earlier that day…

“They were in love” Tikki had said with a gentle smile as she remembered her earlier charge  
“Okay… s-so… what you’re saying is…”  
“Marinette, not every Miraculous pair has ended up together, and hardly any have truely grown so close.”  
“Wait, are you saying that… i-I’m in love… w-with…”  
“Only you can truely answer that Marinette.”

Ladybug stopped in her tracks, processing the memory ‘No… n-no it CAN’T be…’ she took off again 'no, no no no no NO!!!’ she swung her way to the Eifle Tower, 'i CAN’T be in love with… with… THAT STUPID CAT!’ And began to climb… 'what about Adrien?’ She finally stopped on the top level. She looked out over her city. The wind, softly blowing her hair as she stood still, contemplating over her internal delima… she was so absorbed in thought that she didn’t hear the slight padded thump of someone landing behind her. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she grabbed said hand and forced the perpetrator onto the ground with a serious scowl on her face  
“Ow… Ladybug?”  
She blinked, then realized what she had just done “KITTY! OHMYGOSH, I'MSOSORRY,AREYOUOKAY?!”  
“Woah, woah, easy there” Chat said calmly as he got back up onto his feet “calm down, its just me. Slow down, take a deep breath… good. Now… what’s wrong?” She couldn’t look at him… after everything that’s come to light, she just couldn’t… look at him…  
“I…” she took a deep breath “i th-think I’m-” she was going to be sick “HAVEYOUEVERHADAJOINTDREAM?!” Chat blinked at her, dumbfounded  
“A… what?”  
“A joint dream, you know, where… two people have the same dream, at the same time, but really, it’s their subconscious intertwining and in reality, they’re actually together, just… subconsciously?”  
“Uhhh…” poor confused little chaton “no… not that i can recall… why? Have you?” Did he not realize their dream was joint? Or could he be hiding the fact that it was with a civilian… even IF that civilian was actually HER  
“Uh… actually…” Chat looked at her with his head slightly tilted, pure curiosity on his face “i… i think i have… but… i don’t known if he even realizes it was a joint dream or not”  
“If he doesn’t know, then how do you know it was joint?”  
“Because the last time i saw him, he quoted part of my dream” silence. “And, he himself said that he was quoting his own dream…” Chat still looked as confused as ever  
“O…kay, umm… so… do you like this guy?” Ladybug began to blush  
“I-I don’t know… m-maybe”  
“Okay… is it really such a big deal if it WAS a joint dream?” She shot her head up  
“OF COURSE IT IS!”  
“Okay, okay. No need to snap my head off…”  
“I’m sorry, its just…” 'i seriously don’t want to tell him about it’ “m-my Kawamii, she told me that, joint dreams, are like… extremely rare, and well, only happen when two are so close… like… w-when they’re in… l… l-love” she trails off as she avoided his eyes  
“So… you think you’re in love?” Her blush grew “thats great LB” she looked back to find him grinning the biggest grin he could muster, a light gleam in his eyes “I’m so happy for you… hey, maybe later, once Hawkmoth has been defeated, we could go on a double date” okay… now he was just getting ridiculous  
“Thats… that’d be kinda hard to do…”  
“Oh, common… he can’t be THAT bad if he has your attention Ladybug” she shifted in her spot uncomfortably, Chat looked perplexed as he tried to figure out his partner “was he a previous akuma?” She shook her head “is he someone we know” she hesitated, then nodded, her blush growing “has he ever hurt you?” She shook her head “do you trust him?” She hesitated again  
“With everything I am” she replied back, eyes still glued to the floor. His gentle smile grew  
“Then I’m not sure you have anything to worry about… don’t worry, it’ll be okay, okay?” She shifted again  
“Whatifhewasyou?” She mumbled under her breath, but, being the cat he was, he had caught it. His own blush began to grow  
“Wh-what?” Her face was almost as red as her suit “when…” he cleared his throat “when did you have this dream?” She shifted on her feet  
“… last night?” His tense shoulders relaxed as his ears stood back up and he began to laugh “wh-whats so funny?”  
Chat wiped his eyes “while it’s sweet to know that you dream about me LB, I guarantee you that it wasn’t a joint dream, as you say”  
“How do you know?” She pouted as she turned away  
“Because…” he began, walking up to right behind her “i haven’t had a dream about you in two months” she spun around to look at him with blown eyes  
“What?” She whisper-mumbled  
“Yeah, uhh…” he scratched the back of his neck “I uhh, actually use to dream about you quite a bit… every night, actually” her jaw was on the floor as he tried to avert his eyes “b-but then, i-I started dreaming about a-a friend of yours- of mine- of… ours…” her breath hitched  
“Who?” He hesitated for a moment, considering if he should actually say anything… finally he sighed  
“Marinette” her hands flew to her mouth… he DREAMED ABOUT HER?! and not just HER, as in LADYBUG, but… her, as in MARINETTE! And… for the past TWO MONTHS?! But… wait a minute… FairyGodmother was only last month…  
“B-b-but… w-what do you mean… two months? Y-you only confessed to her last month” his face was calm and collected as he stepped forward, looking her straight into the eye  
“I know. I’m not exactly sure when it started, but I guess I’ve slowly been starting to notice her more and more… she’s become one of my best friends. I can open up to her about anything and everything. I trust her, i want the best for her… I love her. Honestly, I think I’ve subconsciously known for a while, but… it took FairyGodmother for me to finally recognize and realize what exactly had been building the entire time… until then… i had been trying to deny it… i thought my heart belonged to someone else, but… I’ve never felt the way I do about her, for anyone else… ever. It took kissing her awake for me to finally accept that. To realize that, without a shadow of a doubt, I am deeply in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Tears were starting to form in her eyes  
“Why?”  
“What?”  
“Why do YOU love HER? She’s just… plain, and clumsy, a-and pathetic, she’s always running late, she isn’t really that pretty, nothing really special, she’s a complete nobody, I mean, how could she even COMPARE to a superhero? She’s-”  
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Chat ordered sternly. She looked up to find him staring at her as if she had just said the worst thing you could ever think of. “I will NOT have you talking that way about her, Ever AGAIN! Why do I love her? Because I do… i love everything about her. Her laugh, her smile, she’s the kindest girl I’ve ever met. She’s not plain… she’s extraordinary. She’s not pathetic… she’s amazing. She’s not pretty… she’s the most beautiful, wonderful, breath-taking woman i have ever seen. She’s talented. She’s gifted. She’s a true prodigy. She’s strong, and proud, but also humble… she has the most dazzling smile, and the most welcoming eyes. She’s NOT a nobody… in fact, I’d say she could even give one Mr. Gabriel Agreste a run for his money. Her voice is like an angels, and when she sings… my heart stops. She knows who she is and isn’t afraid to show it. And even if she isn’t a superhero, she’s a hero in her own way… she stands up for others… even against Chloe. She’s always trying to do the right thing, and even if she messes up, she works to fix it. She admits to when she’s wrong and apologizes to those she may hurt. She always wears her beautiful smile, and when she lets her hair down, its like looking over the Niagara Falls. No, she’s not perfect, but then… no one is… and that doesn’t matter… i still love her.”  
“Chat” she whispered  
He had turned away halfway through his explanation. He was surprised that when he turned back around to face his partner, her face was nearly as red as her suit. Just then they heard the all too familiar sound of a beep coming from Ladybugs earings… had she really been out that long? “Your Miraculous is going off” she blinked  
“Oh, r-right” then she turned on her heels and threw her yo-yo, zipping off without another word.

Chat Noir landed on the balcony, surprised to find his Princess asleep on her lawn chair. He smiled as he walked over, bending down, he brushed her bangs out of her face as he placed a single, gentle kiss on her forehead  
“Mari,” he whispered “Princess, time to get up” she pouted as she moaned and turned over on her other side. Chat couldn’t help but quietly chuckle… she was just too cute. He stood up to stretch before bending back down and lifting her up, Princess style. She moaned again as she burried her face into his chest. His gaze was soft as he carefully walk them both over to the open skyroof window. Then he cautiously lowered them both inside her room. He placed her in her bed just as his ring gave a warning. Once she was tucked in, he snuck down the ladder, trying to make it to her bathroom before his transformation wore off. A bright green light shown through the room as Chat Noir became Adrien Agreste. He spun on his heels, worried that the bright light would have woke her. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was now facing away from him.  
“Boy, that was a close one” Adrien reached out and cupped his hand over Plagg’s big mouth  
“Plagg, shhh” he whisper-shouted. Said Kawamii glared at his charge. Once Adrien removed his hand, Plagg sighed  
“Look kid, I’m tired, and I’m hungry… you stay here, I’m going down to the kitchen to grab a snack” before the boy had a chance to protest, the chaotic-being had phased through the floor door. “Psst… hey, Tikki…”

Adrien’s anxiety spiked when he realized that Plagg was now gone. Frustrated he pinched the brim of his nose and sighed “you better not get yourself caught Plagg” he muttered under his breath. Marinette let out a small moan as she shifted in her sleep. He looked up to see her framed in the moonlight shining through her skyroof. He smiled 'she’s beautiful’ her hair was let down, a small strand had fallen in her face as her lips barely parted. He stared at her lips… he wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t want to wake her. He looked away, trying to district himself from hos own thoughts, when his gaze landed on her desk… almost all the pictures of him as Adrien had been taken down and neatly piled together. And right beside the pile, her drawing journal was open. His breath caught when he saw what she had been drawing… it was him, as Chat, with beautiful Golden hair, and vibrant, deep, cat-like green eyes… it was so detailed, it looked like she had either had him pose for it, or had looked off a picture to get the shading JUST right… but upon further inspection, he couldn’t find a picture 'did she… draw this based on memory?’ He looked back to see she had turned to face him, but she was still fast asleep. He smiled at the little sleeping Beauty before him as he slowly made his way back over to her. His eyes were soft as he gazed at her lovely, sleeping face, reminding him of their first kiss. Gently, he leaned down, and kissed her “I love you” Adrien whispered to the still sleeping girl  
“Hey, Kid” Plagg whispered loudly. Adrien ignored him, Plagg rolled his eyes “look, I know you want to, like, stay here all night or whatever, but unfortunately… you can’t. One, you are currently NOT Chat, and if she woke up to find… you… in her room, leaning over her, looking at her like she’s your whole world… fortunately for you, it wouldn’t end pretty. Second, you have a shoot tomorrow morning, and I’m NOT having you get in trouble for falling asleep on set again… need I remind you what happened the LAST time you fell asleep?” The Kawamii crossed his arms. Adrien sighed as he stood up and walked to the bathroom with him… just because it didn’t wake her before, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t this time. Chat Noir came out of the bathroom and walked back over to her desk. He glanced back at the drawing and gave a soft smirk, before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a single red rose, placing it down beside the undisturbed journal. Then he made his way back to the skyroof window. But before he opened it, he leaned down once more, gently brushed her bangs out of her face, and kissed her forehead.

When Marinette woke up the next morning, she found the rose along with a small note  
'Not even Briar Rose could compare to your Beauty Princess’  
It was signed with a heart that had been made into a paw print… she blushed as the small smile grew on her face… 'Stupid cat’…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIII!!!!!!!!!!  
> I'm not dead... I promise... (Please don't kill me) lol  
> Okay, so I'm sorry this chapter took so long, truth is... I was kinda in a bad place emotionally, and... I kinda had a total melt down in the church bathroom the Sunday before Thanksgiving right after choir ended. Anyways, I'm better now ^_^  
> See, God reminded me of a short story He'd given me a few years ago, then He told me that I needed to extend it, so for the next month, I was able to take a simple, maybe a couple thousand words short story, and turn it into a chapter book with nine chapters... basically, it's kinda like Pilgrim's Progress, or The Great Divorce... you know, a spiritual journey where all the characters have really weird names and meaningful purposes/roles to play... Anyway, I'll let you know when I can finally get it published.
> 
> So, yeah. that's done now, and I was finally able to finish this chapter...  
> thank you all for all your patience, love and support. You guys mean the world to me <3  
> remember...  
> Comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!!  
> Love yal <3  
> =^_^=
> 
> Oh, and P.S. if you happen to have the app Miraculous Ladybug Amino, look me up :D I just joined today ;)  
> username: Anni Artist


	20. That's How You Know

"Hey Adrien..."  
"Yes Mari?" His head shot up from his book the moment he heard her voice  
"I was... i was wondering if I... i-if I could talk with you... a-alone..."  
"SURE" he stated a little too enthusiastically, as he hurriedly shoved his books back into his bag, and the two left the library and headed out towards the park. They walked for a while in silence, side by side, both avoiding the others gaze... the silence was getting to him "sooo... what's up?"  
"Oh, um..." they had walked to the middle of the park, standing under the great oak tree "well... how... h-how well do you know..." she hesitated a moment, still avoiding her eyes "Chat Noir?" She whispered, like she was afraid someone would overhear them. His eyes widened  
"Oh, uuh..."  
"I mean... what... wh-what all has he told you... about... me..." man, it was good he had such great hearing, she kept getting quieter and quieter... maybe they shouldn't have come somewhere so public.  
"Everything" he whispered back. Still looking to the ground, her eyes widened as she felt the blush reach up to her ears  
"O-oh..."  
"Is there something wrong with that?" He asked, gently taking her hand in one of his, while the other gently lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. Her jaw dropped as she looked into his eyes...  
"N-no, i guess... why weren't you at the school?" Well... that caught him off guard  
"Come again?"  
"Last rehearsal... i know I saw you there... why weren't you there when..."  
"When... FairyGodmother attacked you?" He finished. She paused, then nodded, biting her bottom lip. He sighed. "You know my father... he's so over protective... he actually has Nathalie keep track of all akuma... whenever an attack occurs, the Gorilla usually pulls up to pick me up..." technically true...  
"So... you went home then?"  
"... Yeah..." she sighed  
"So... what, wh-what did Chat say wh-when he..."  
"When he?"  
"When he... came to your.. house?" Adrien blushed  
"Oh, uh... he uh... he told me that... th-that one of our friends had gotten hit, and that she was put under a sleeping spell, and that she was the only one who could possibly know where Ladybug was, and that... his intentions were good... to wake her up and ask her about Ladybug, but then... he saw her, like it was the very first time... she was beautiful, his heart had skipped, his breath caught, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her if he tried... and when he actually kissed her, he saw fireworks. It was at that moment, he knew, that he was in love... o-or at least, that's what Chat told me" his grin was too big, he was scratching the back of his neck nervously... he's hiding something  
"Did he tell you who it was?" Marinette eyed him suspiciously. He tensed.... he knows  
"Wh-what? No, o-of course not... i didn't even hear y-you'd been hit until the next day" silence...  
"Then how did you know it was me?" She whispered. His eyes widened, "I'mgonnaskinthatcat" she mumbled  
'Oh crap, d-did I really just...' "what? Wh-what do you mean?" She blushed  
"If he didn't tell you it was me, then how did you know our two stories were connected?" She crossed her arms as she glared at him. He gulped  
"Oh, uh... I uh... figured it out?" She blinked at him  
"Was that a question or a statement?"  
"Uh.... uh statement" he answered meekly  
"Adrien, you don't have to be nervous... it's just little ol' me" she smiled, placing a hand over his  
'Don't have to be nervous? YOU JUST THREATENED TO SKIN ME ALIVE!' "Oh, uh, yeah, eheh..." she pouted at him while crossing her arms. He sighed "Look, M-Mari, there's something I-"  
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  
The two teenagers turned towards the scream, shock displayed on their faces 'crap... i can't talk to her now... I'm gonna have to transform'  
"I'm sorry Adrien, i have to go" then she grabbed her purse and fled  
"MARI!" he shouted as he reached out as if to grab her, but she was already out of sight. Adrien ran his hand down his face "ugh, what is with that girl? Well, at least I know she's safe. PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!!!"

The night was clear, and the air was fresh as Chat jumped from roof top to roof top with only one destination in mind. His grin grew as he landed on the roof across from the bakery. He was about to jump the extra mile, but paused in his steps when he saw his partner, the heroine of Paris, land on the balcony instead. He hid behind the chimney as he watched with wide eyes as she walked over, opened the window, and jumped down inside. He waited for her to leave... he wanted to see his Princess... but she never left. 'Huh... i guess Ladybug and Marinette really are friends' he frowned at the thought that he couldn't see his Princess tonight 'they must be having a sleepover' he guessed with a sigh. He took one more glance over his shoulder, then, using his baton, began his trail back home. 

Marinette waited... and waited... and waited, but that stupid cat never came. She sighed as she closed her journal. "Tikki... he's not coming, is he?" She asked as she made her way over to look out the window.  
"I'm sorry Marinette"  
"It's alright... maybe something came up..." she gave a sad smile as she made her way to her bed and tucked herself in.  
"Oh Marinette..."

The next day Adrien kept finding himself staring at Marinette nearly every chance he could... he couldn't stop. He wanted to take and kiss her right there on the spot... but they were in school so... he couldn't. And he was Adrien, so... he couldn't... man, could this get any more depressing? So when lunch came around, he was quite confused why he felt both disappointed and relieved that she had to help her parents in the bakery during break. He let out a sigh, unsure what he should be feeling at the moment... was it normal to be feeling jealous of his hero-ego? He was starting to wish more and more that he would have just detransformed before kissing her the first time... at least then he could see her whenever he wants. Hands in his pockets, Adrien begins walking through the park. "ADRIEN, DUDE!" Adrien looks up to see Nino waving him over from beneath the large tree... Adrien solemnly makes his way back over.  
"Hey Nino"  
"Hey... bro, what's going on? You've been all, like... down and such... wanna talk about it?" Adrien took a deep breath  
"So... what do you do if you find out a girl has a crush on you, then you turn her down because you love someone else, but then you get to know her, like, the way she's so selfless, or how she puts others first, or her gorgeous blue eyes, and suddenly it's like, the love you've grown for her overrides the love for your own crush, but now the girl had moved on just when you've started to reciprocate her feelings, and the feelings for your crush... are kinda still there, but... you seriously just want to spend all your time with the girl, you can't get her out of your head, you dream about her nearly every night, and you've pretty much fallen heads over heels for the girl, but she’s already moved on and, maybe, has fallen in love with someone else, bit you're afraid to tell her the truth because you broke her heart once, and though you would NEVER do that again, because she means the world to you, but she may not know that, and you don't want to hurt her, you just want her to be happy, and she seems happy with this other guy, but you still want... Nino, what do I do?"  
"Are you two talking about Mari?" Adrien looked up to see Alya walking towards them with two ice-cream cones in her hand  
“Wh-what?! Where did you come from?”  
“Hey, I was actually here first, I just, left for a minute to get us two some ice cream” she handed Nino a pistachio cone while she began licking her cocoa bean cone “So anyway, I couldn’t help over hearing your dilemma there, so… am I right? It’s Mari, isn’t it?” Adrien huffs as he turns his face away with a pout as a deep blush covers his cheeks… Alya and Nino burst into laughter  
“Dude… seriously… it’s… it’s written all… all over your face” Nino tried to get out between laughs  
“OKAY! FINE!... You’re Right… happy?” Adrien pouted  
“You know” Alya began, finally gaining control over her own giggles “even if you didn’t admit it… we still knew”  
“WHAT?! HOW?!”  
“Dude, you’ve been like, staring at her, like crazy man. Like, your face gets all dreamy, your smile glows, like, it literally glows when she talks dude”  
“And let’s not forget the staring at the lips” Alya adds in. Adrien’s eyes widen “Common Adrien, did you really think Momma Alya wouldn’t catch on? You are TOTALLY heads over heels for her aren’t you?” Adrien dropped his eyes to the ground  
“It doesn’t matter now, does it? I hurt her, I mean… she could have been akumatized because of me…”  
“Adrien” Alya laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, he raised his eyes to look at her “things change, time goes on, friends get closer, feelings grow… you love her don’t you?” he slightly nods  
“Yeah… more than anything, or… anyone”  
“Have you told her?”  
“How am I supposed to do that? She loves someone else, she… she chose him over me, and… I helped her… I pushed her away, into his arms, but now… I just… I want her back… I mean, she’s my best friend, no offence Nino”  
“None taken dude, I wouldn’t wanna take your lady’s place anyhow” Adrien smiled at his guy best friend  
“Thanks Nino. Anyway… I care about her so much, I just… I want her to be happy”  
“But you haven’t told her…”  
“What good would it do to tell her now?”  
“Adrien, you need to tell her. She deserves to know… she’s been waiting for the last two years for you to notice her… you NEED to tell her how you feel, otherwise… it’ll just fester and eat away at you until you can’t take it anymore and you lash out. So… how are you going to tell her?”  
“What do you mean ‘how’?”  
“How does she know, you love her?” Alya began to sing “how does she know, she’s yours?”  
“How does she know that you love her?”  
“Nino?!” Adrien’s jaw dropped as his best bed suddenly had a pair of bongos in front of him… had those always been there?  
“How do you show her, you love her?” Alya asked as her boyfriend patted the foreign drum  
“How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?” the two sing in unison  
“I told you, she’s not going to know” Adrien tried to interrupt  
“How does she know that you love her? How do you show her you love her? How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?” the two grab Adrien by the hands and drag he up and through the park  
“It’s not enough to take the one you love for granted, you must remind her or she’ll be inclined to say…” Alya ran forwards a little, walking backwards to face the golden sun child “How do I know, he loves me? How do I know, he’s mine?” they meet up with Juleka and Rose  
“Well would you leave a little note to tell her she is on your mind?” Juleka asks as she hands him a poem she had written  
“Give her yellow flowers when the sky is grey? HeEey” Rose sings as she hands him a yellow daffodil  
“You’ll find a new way to show her” Alya picked up “a little bit every day, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know, she’s your love” they continue walking forward, Rose and Juleka adding to the group, they’re about to approach Maylene and Ivan when Nino runs up to stand beside Alya, walking backwards with her he sings  
“You’ve gotta show her you need her, don’t treat her like a mind reader, each day do something to lead her, to believe you love her”  
“Everybody wants to live happily ever after” Maylene sings as she takes Ivan’s arm, staring into his eyes  
“Everybody wants to know their true love is true” Ivan sings back to the petite woman as they join in the group heading towards the jungle gym, Alix and Kym run up to each side of Adrien  
“Why don’t you take her out dancing just so you could hold her close?” Alex winks as she elbows Adrien’s side  
“Dedicate a song with words just for you two, oOoo” Did Kym just… just sing?! Alya picked it back up  
“You’ll find your own way to tell her, with the little things you’ll do, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know she’s your love” the further in they walk, the more of their classmates join in the crowd, Max, Nathaniel, even Sabrina (like Chloe would come to ANYTHING that would take her Adrikins away from her) what, did they plan this?! “That’s how she’ll know, you love her, that’s how she’ll know, it’s true”  
“Why don’t you wear her favorite color so you’d match her eyes?” Max asked  
“Plan a private picnic by a fire’s glow?” Sabrina asked  
“oOoh,” Alya adds before the whole group (minus Adrien) breaks into chorus  
“Your will be hers forever, something everyday will show, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know, that’s how she’ll know!”  
“She’s your love” Alya breaks off  
“That’s how she’ll know that you love her, that’s how you’ll show her you love her. You gotta show her you need her, don’t treat her like a mind reader” Nino solos  
“That’s how she’ll know, she’s your love” Alya blurts out while the rest of the class adds  
“It’s not enough to take the ones you love for granted” then… they disperse, leaving Alya, Nino and Adrien alone at the edge of the park  
“What was that? Did you guys PLAN that?!” Adrien asks… a little louder than necessary  
“WHAAAAAT?!” Alya feigns “No, why would you accuse us of something like that? Nino chuckles as he shakes his head  
“Babe, give it up, he figured it out” Alya giggled  
“Alright fine. Yes, our entire class could CLEARLY see that you were getting NOWHERE with your little crush, so we all worked together, minus Chloe as you saw, to try and give you ideas on how you could… break the ice, so to say” Alya winked  
“So dude, think you can take it from here?” Adrien looked up to see they were standing in front of the bakery as Nino clasped a hand on his shoulder for support  
“Tom and Sabine should be expecting you if they heard the song”  
“You got the Dupain-Chengs in on this TOO?!” Adrien asked in complete shock/terror  
“Who do you think recommended the song?” Alya asked with a wink. All color in Adiren’s beautiful face has now drained into the sewer. Alya laughs “Common Nino, this is something lover-boy has to do on his own” Alya grabs Nino and they begin walking back to the park  
“Later dude!” Nino calls as he’s pulled away.  
Adrien looks back at the bakery and gulps  
“You okay Kid?” Plagg asked  
“Plagg… are you able to transfer courage to me ever outside of the suit?” Plagg sighed  
“Sorry Kid, no can do” Adrien gulped one more time, closed his over-shirt, and opened the bakery door, sounding the little bell, telling whoever was there… they had company…  
“Marinette?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... yeah... sorry it took so long... I have no excuses other than I found the Ladybug Amino and have constantly been on that... and I've been playing games on my phone... and I've been trying to share my talents by making OC's for other people (and myself)... and I'm still working on my actual book... and I'm kinda addicted to my phone... and I pay for it so there's no problem with that... and I've started writing one or two other fics for the Amino's contests... and I love reading other peoples fics too and if I get started, I don't want to stop... and I had a stress attack where my head wouldn't stop moving for over 30 hours straight (aside from when the Dr gave me meds to take an MRI... it came back clean)... AND to top it off I still have work...  
> so... no, no excuses at all  
> ... lol, yeah right  
> seriously guys, thanks for your patience, and please... if you have the Ladybug Amino app, look me up... same user name, same profile pic, same artist =^_^=
> 
> Anyway... I've been wanting to include this song for a while now... what'd you guys think? I personally had a TON of fun writing it, and... I may have squealed and giggled a little when listening to it for inspiration (what can I say? it's Disney... and romance... the perfect combo for my defeat XD )  
> *sigh* I'm such a hopeless romantic.
> 
> Oh, and before I forget...  
> That's How you Know, from Enchanted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Z8IdVwK5Y


	21. The Ball Scene (Part 1)

The little bell above the door jingled as he pressed it forwards "Marinette?"  
"Adrien my boy! Good to see ya!" Tom called as he wiped his hands on his apron, coming out from behind the counter to properly greet the boy with a giant bear hug  
"Hello Mr. Dupain... is Mari home?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry dear, you just missed her" Sabine answered from behind the register  
"Oh, i see" Adrien deflated  
"Is there anything we can help you with?" Sabine asked  
"N-no, not really Mrs. Cheng"  
"Sabine is fine dear" she stated with a smile, handing Adrien a mini queesh  
"And you can call me Tom. We're family now with you dating my daughter, no need for formalities." Adrien choked on his queesh with wide eyes  
"Wh-what? M-Marinette and I are not dating"  
"Isn't that why you're here?" Tom asked, one eyebrow raised. Adrien's jaw dropped to the floor, as Sabine came out from behind the counter  
"Tom, you'll send the poor boy into shock" she stated as she playfully slapped her husband's arm. Tom laughed as he scratched the back of his head  
"Eheheh, sorry"  
"Forgive him Adrien, he's just really excited that such a nice young man has taken an interest in our little girl" Sabine smiled.  
"Wh-wh-what? I-uh"  
"There's no need to be embarrassed dear. We respect our daughter, and trust that she will make the right decision when the time arrives, just as we trust you. Adrien, we already love you like a son, and you are ALWAYS welcome here. No matter what time of day or night, we welcome you with open arms" she handed him a fresh croissant as she continued "Adrien, dear, whether you want to tell her the truth today, or later, please know that we support you one-hundred percent." Tom placed a large hand on his wife's shoulder as he added  
"Also, we know our daughter, inside and out. We know everything. So with that in mind, please try to remember... her first answer, don't take it so serious, she'll come around. She may be a little confused at first, but deep down inside, we know how she really feels"  
"And if she's anything like I was as a girl"  
"Which she is" Tom added  
"Then eventually her true feelings will win over. Just... promise us, that, no matter what, you won't give up on her." Sabine's asked with pleading eyes. Adrien sighed  
"I couldn’t give up on her if I tried" suddenly Adrien felt a large hand land on his shoulder. He looked up to see Tom and Sabine gently smiling at him, their eyes sparkling like the stars at night. Adrien smiled at the loving pair, then Sabine handed him a to-go bag. His eyes widened, uet again  
"For later. You said Camembert was his favorite, right?" Adrien looked from the bag  
"Uh, y-yeah, I love Camembert" he smiled/laughed awkwardly as he scratched his neck.  
"So anyway" Tom clapped his large hands together "are you going to ask her out?"  
"Tom" Sabine laughed  
"What? It's an honest question" Tom shrugged. Even if the conversation was, awkwardly, about him and Marinette, he couldn’t help smiling at the true example of love before him  
"Actually, the uh, the play is, next week, so... i was just going to ask if she wanted to practice together" he fibbed... well, kinda... the play WAS that next week, and he really DID want to practice with her (especially the part of the Prince... if she'd let him), so... why not? Alright that's what he'd do. He'd ask her to practice with him. There's no harm in that... right? Tom sighed  
"Fiiine. But if you decide to ask her out, she likes flowers and pretty girly things" the older man winked. Adrien laughed, realizing that, no matter how embarrassed he may be, they were only just playing around with him... while also giving their permission to DATE their only daughter... wow  
"Oh, look at the time. Adrien dear, you should probably head back to school, your lunch break is about over, correct?" Adrien pulled out his phone  
"Oh, right. Thank you for everything." Before Adrien could leave he felt Tom's hand on his shoulder again  
"Please, protect our little girl" Adrien clamped his own hand over the older man’s, and without even thinking about it, replied  
“You have my word, Sir. I would NEVER let anything happen to my Princess.”

The final bell rang loud and sharp, signaling another end to another school day. Adrien weaved himself through the countless student bodies, searching the crowd for a certain pigtailed bluenette “MARI!” he shouted over the crowd “MARI!”  
“ADRIEN, OVER HERE!” he looked up to see Marinette waving her hand in the air, beside Nino and Alya all standing off to the other side of the hall. Were they waiting for him? Finally the crowd died down and he was able to make it over to his friends  
“There you are” he stated as he stopped to catch his breath “were you guys waiting for me?”  
“Of course” Mari smiled. Adrien smiled back  
“Uhh, excuse me, we’re still here too you know” Alya teased from the side, Nino just stood beside her, trying to hold back the laugh that was threatening to break free any minute now. “Uh, helLOOOo? Are you guys even listening to me?” aaaand… Nino lost it. Their two friends were just staring at each other, lost in their own little world  
“A-Alya” Nino tried to get out between bouts of laughter “Common Alya, let’s leave these two dudes alone” Nino shakes his head chuckling as he pulls Alya away.  
After a few minutes, or was it hours (he couldn’t tell anymore, and frankly, he didn’t care) of being surrounded by complete silence, just lost in her eyes and smile, Adrien feels something bump into him. He looks to see the janitor rolling his eyes “Hey you kids, I’m about to lock the doors here, sooo… scoot it” Adrien felt the blush raise over his cheeks  
“Oh, uh, s-sorry about that” he grabbed Mari’s hand without thinking about it and ran them both out of the building, only stopping once they were at the gate of the park across the street. Just then Mari laughed. He turned to look at her. Her face was flushed as she clutched her stomach from laughing so hard… before he knew it, Adrien was laughing just as hard  
“So…” she started, finally getting her giggles under control  
“So?”  
“I’ve… I ‘ve never had to be told by the janitor, of all people, to leave school” she giggled again  
“Me neither” Adrien scratched the back of his neck nervously “S-so anyway…”  
“Yeah?”  
“I was wondering… y-you know, the play is next week, so… I was wondering if you wanted to practice our parts one more time… together” her eyes widened in surprise  
“Oh, uh… y-yeah, sure”  
“GREAT!” he answered a little too loud “I-I mean, great.” Just then Adrien’s alarm went off “Oh great” his attitude fell  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I forgot I had piano lessons today… could we, maybe meet up after they’re done? It’s my only extracurricular activity today.”  
“Yeah, sure. That sounds fine” Marinette smiled “do you want me to call Alya and Nino, see if they want to join?”  
“Oh, uh, yeah sure. Sounds great” Adrien smiled “So I’ll see you in two hours, alright?” he asked as the Gorilla rolled up  
“Y-yeah, sure, see you then” Mari smiled as she waved him off.

“I see you’re getting along quite nicely with the Dupain-Cheng girl” Nathalie stated from the front seat as they were on their way to his lesson. She smiled  
“Oh, uh, y-yeah. We’re um, in the same class, and… yeah… oh, right. Nathalie, if it’s alright, would you mind bringing me back here as soon as practice is over?” Nathalie raised an eyebrow at the boy ”It’s just, we’re both in the school play, and the actual play is next week, so we were hoping to get a little more practice in since she’s the lead role.”  
“Just you and Miss Dupain-Cheng?”  
“Oh, no. she’s going to call Alya and Nino to see if they’d want to come over too.” Nathalie turned back around, looking over her tablet  
“Well, it looks to be alright, seeing as you don’t have anything else scheduled for the evening, however, I do ask that you try not to stay out too late as tomorrow your schedule is full…” and there she goes again, reminding him of all the so-called responsibilities he has to worry about tomorrow… which is when he will worry about them… tomorrow. Today however, his focus was on Marinette, who he’d be seeing again in a short… 1 hour and fifty-five minutes “-date yet Adrien?”  
“Huh?” Nathalie sighed  
“Were you not listening to me Adrien?”  
“I’m sorry, would you mind repeating that?”  
“I asked you if you had chosen a date for the Royal Ball tomorrow” Adrien looked at her shocked. She barely smirked noticing his complete surprise “Miss Chloe, I’m afraid, has a dentist appointment that day to remove her wisdom teeth, in which case, she will not be attending the ball. Your father was going to set you up with the daughter of a new company he plans to work for, but I was able to convince him to allow you the chance to choose your own date.” They pulled up in front of the mansion as the car stopped  
“Y-you, you did?” he asked in complete shock  
“Yes Adrien. So, unless you want to be forced to dance the night away with a complete stranger, I suggest you make the call as to who you plan to ask, and make sure to ask them tonight. Please inform her that she would not need to worry about anything. She will be supplied with a designer gown, as well as shoes, makeup and hair stylist.” She looked at her watch “now hurry along, you’re going to be late.” Adrien shook his head, coming back to the present  
“Oh, right. See you after practice then, I guess”

Its two hours later and Adrien finds himself frozen, standing in front of the Dupain-Cheng’s backdoor. He hugs his playbook to his chest as he gulps nervously “Gee Kid, are ya gonna go in or not?” Plagg asks from his hidden pocket. Adrien shakes off the nerves, raises his fist to knock, and- freezes in place “Common kid knock… just knock… why aren’t you knocking?... you do know how to knock, right?” Adrien hesitates a moment more before finally his fist meets the door with three brief taps. A moment later (which felt like eternity to the boy) the door swings open.  
“Adrien, hi, common in”  
“Thanks Marinette” the two made their way up to Marinette’s room in an awkward silence. Adrien glanced around her room, noticing it seemed to be a little… empty? “Hey, where are Alya and Nino?” Adrien asked as Mari walked right in, heading for her desk to grab her playbook  
“Oh, I tried calling Alya after you left earlier, but she said something about a bidding pool and celebrating a well done musical number… weird huh?” Adrien laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck  
“Uh, y-yeah, totally weird. Um… can I use your bathroom real quick?” Mari looked up from her search  
“Huh? Yeah, sure. You remember where it is?”  
“Yeah, yeah, totally” then he awkwardly made his way to her bathroom, locked the door and pulled out his phone  
…  
…  
…  
..- “Yello”  
“Nino, why aren’t you and Alya able to come over to Marinette’s for practice? What do you mean by a bidding pool? And tell me you guys really are not celebrating that little number you pulled in the park” Nino chuckled  
“Dude, what’s with the panicky voice?”  
“Nino I’m serious” Adrien began to pace in the bathroom “Where are you guys? I don’t know if I can do this by myself”  
“Daw… is Mr. Sun child feeling nervous being alone with his crush?” wait, that wasn’t Nino, that was…  
“A-Alya?!”  
“Hiya!” Alya called out. Adrien face-palmed  
“… you have me on speaker, don’t you?” at that he began hearing greetings from the rest of his class. Adrien sighed “Nino-“  
“Look Dude, I’d love to stay and chat, but we were kinda going over our scripts for the play, so I’m gonna haveta-“  
“Wait, WHAT?! Why couldn’t you come over here to practice? Or at least invite me and Mari so we weren’t alone”  
“It’ll be okay Adrien” he heard Maylene call out  
“Yeah! GO GET ’ER!”  
“OW, ALEX, STOP SCREAMING IN MY EAR!” Kym shouted in the background. Adrien sighed as his friends all tried to pump him up through the phone  
“You guys… thanks” Alya giggled  
“Who would have thought the tables would turn like this”  
“Go on dude, you can do it” with that everyone bid their final well wishes and goodbyes before Adrien heard the click of the other end sign off. Adrien sighed as he dropped his hand, still holding his phone. Before he took a deep breath and headed back out to Marinette… praying that he could hold it together… maybe.

Adrien and Marinette were having such a great time that they lost track of time before Adrien’s phone went off, alerting him that the Gorilla was on his way. They had just finished cleaning up. Marinette was handing him his script book that he’d almost forgotten on her desk. That’s when he noticed the piece of paper starting to peek out from one of the pages. He spun around away from her and quickly flipped to the right page to find… an invitation. An invitation to the Royal Ball to be exact. Nathalie must have snuck it in there when he wasn’t looking.  
Honestly, Adrien had forgotten all about the Ball, but in just seeing the ticket he remembered… Chloe wouldn’t be there… his father wanted him to accompany a stranger… he got to choose who he’d like to- wait… he… Adrien gulped ‘I get to choose my date?’  
“Adrien, are you alright?” he didn’t hear her  
‘I get to choose. There’s no question, there’s only one girl I’d want by my side’ Adrien spins on his heels, and nearly collides with Marinette ‘when had she gotten so close?’ Adrien clears his throat as he takes a step back  
“Adrien?” He straightens his posture, and pouring as much courtesy lessons in as he could, begins  
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, it would do me great honor, and provide the greatest pleasure, if you would accompany me, to the Royal Ball tomorrow evening.” With that he bowed deep and handed her the formal invitation, awaiting her response…

Had she just heard him right? Did Adrien Agreste seriously just ask HER to the Royal Ball? As in… THE Royal Ball?! Her eyes were wide as her jaw dropped “A-Adrien, I.. I-I…” she was trembling… well of COURSE she was trembling, her late crush had just asked her to THE Royal Ball after all. Marinette took a deep breath “Adrien, are you sure you want ME to be your date? What about… Vanilla… why not ask her?”  
‘Heh, I kinda just did’ Adrien chuckled to himself “I’m sorry Marinette for just springing this on you like that. It was kinda just… last moment. Usually I’d have Chloe to accompany me, but… she’s not going to be able to make it this year. I was just told on my way here that I actually get to choose who I bring, and, well… y-you’re one of my best friends, and I know you’ve got some pretty skilled dance moves. Plus, there’ll be a lot of skilled artists there of all genre. If you’d like, I could even introduce you. And you wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Nathalie said you’d be provided with a dress, and shoes, and make-up and everything. And honestly, I’d rather dance with you then some stuck-up stranger my father wants to set me up with. With you, I know I’d be able to at least have a little fun.”  
… Did he just ramble? She wanted to giggle, but there was that one pressing matter on her mind “Adrien” she sighed “While I appreciate the thought… you know I like… someone else… how would I be able to live with myself if I went on a date with-“  
“Oh, what? No, no… you, y-you misunderstood me. I just wanted to bring you along as my plus one. I mean, I know you like that kinda thing and, it doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be a date, just… an enjoyable experience between two best friends. I mean, if it makes you feel better, Chat was actually the one who recommended you.”  
“What?! Really?!”  
“Y-yeah, totally. He said… I think Marinette might like to go, I mean, why shouldn’t a Princess go to a Royal Ball?” Mari giggled thinking about her silly kitty.  
“He would say something like that, wouldn’t he?”  
“Common Marinette… please?”  
“I…” she sighed “I’ll think about it”

*sigh* “It’s already after eleven o’clock Tikki… Do you think he’s still coming?” Marinette asked as she leaned on the banister of her upper rooftop balcony. Tikki gave a small smile as she flew up to comfort the girl.  
“Relax Marinette, I’m sure he’s just running late.”  
“But he… I haven’t seen him in days Tikki… DAYS! Could he have- c-could he have ch-changed his mind about me? What if… he doesn’t love me anymore? I… I-I d-don’t know if I could h-handle that” Mari tried to get out, trying to fight back the tears threatening to fall “T-Tikki?” Just then Marinette felt a warm pair of leather clad arms encircle her midsection. She gasped as she felt a head fall to her shoulder, placing a gentle kiss on her neck “Chat” she whispered before spinning around on her heels  
“Good evening my Princess.” Chat held her cheeks in both hands as he gently brings his lips to hers in a kiss. After a moment, they break apart and embrace in a long-overdue hug  
“Chat” Marinette whined into his chest  
“Princess?” was she crying  
“Chat where were you?” she pulled back to look him in the eye… sure enough, her eyes were full of tears as her lip gave a little pout “Y-you just… up and left… y-you disappeared again… wh-why did you do that? You promised you wouldn’t do that again” she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He felt like an idiot. Ladybug already knew he visited Marinette, he should have just gone and knocked on her window… if Ladybug was there, she could have stayed hidden, she wouldn’t have come out into sight anyway… HE made his Princess cry…  
‘I hurt her… I’m such an idiot’ he pulled her in for another hug, tightening his hold on her, hoping to get across just how sorry he was “I’m sorry Princess. Civilian life caught up with me, and I couldn’t break away. I never meant to hurt you. I tried coming last night, but… I saw Ladybug enter your sky roof” she tensed up  
“You… y-you saw Ladybug?”  
“Yes. And I know you guys are friends, so I waited until she left… but she never did. By the time two hours had passed, I figured you must just be having a sleepover, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”  
“YousawLadybug” she mumbled to herself  
“I’m truly sorry Mari. I never meant to give you the wrong idea. I should have just come anyway, at least then you wouldn’t be crying” he softly wiped a tear away  
“No” she shook her head “You… you did the right thing. I’m sorry. I should have known you had a better reason then changing your mind about me…” Chat’s eyes widened in shock before settling into a serious glare  
“Marinette. I want you to know, now and forever, I love you. I will never leave you, I could never even DREAM about giving you up. I will never cheat on you.. I will never hurt you. I will protect you. I treasure you more than all the riches in the world combined… multiplied by a hundred” she giggled at his over exaggeration “I hate to see you cry, my Princess” he kissed both of her tear-stained eyes “and I will do everything in my power to make you the happiest girl in the universe” she sighed as she fell back into his embrace. “I love you”

“So are you going to go?” Marinette looked up to the cat-like hero, her eyes wide at his question  
“What?”  
“To the Ball… Are you… are you going to go?” he asked. She glanced down. He sighed “You should go” her head shot up again  
“WHAT!?”  
“Please Princess. I’d take you as Chat if I could, but, surprisingly, we heroes were not invited…” he saw her roll her eyes, and mumble something about ‘stupidrulesaboutnotcomingincostume’ which made him smirk. “There will be dancing, music, artists from every genre, great food and appetizers… what do you say?”  
… “I’d say that I’d rather be going with you” Chat smiled down at her as he pulled her into a hug  
“I’m sorry Princess, but really… you should go. I mean, Adrien’s your friend right?” she nodded “I promise Princess, you’ll have a ball” Chat laughed as she lightly hit his chest at the pun “You should go-”  
“Are you sure?” Mari interrupted “A-are you sure you’d be okay with me going to a Ball with another guy?”  
“It doesn’t have to be a date, you could just go as his friend… right? I mean… if it’s just Adrien, that would be okay, right? Plus… I told you that I was okay with you having a crush on him… remember?”  
“Thatstilldoesn’tmakeanysensetome,youknow” she mumbled. Chat brushed a strand of hair behind her ear  
“If it’s just Adrien, I’m okay with it. I know he would never do anything to hurt you… he cares about you too much you know” she bit her bottom lip as she nodded… could she get any cuter? Then she sighed  
“Okay, you’re right. He’s my friend after all… just because we’re going to a fancy dance doesn’t mean we’ll be on a d-date… right? I mean… friends go out together as just friends all the time. And besides… he’s not interested in me like that, right? I mean, why would he be? I’m nothing special” Mari looked up to find Chat wide-eyed and staring at her  
“Whatever gave you that idea?” he asked, his face suddenly taking on a serious expression “Adrien Agreste, no, ANY guy would be a complete IDIOT to NOT see how absolutely amazing you are. You’re smart, strong, brave, beautiful… you’re a great listener, you’re talented, kind, completely selfless… any guy would have to be absolutely BLIND not to be crazy about you… oh wait a minute, even the blind guy would still fall for you. Princess” he gently takes her hands “whether he’s popular, smart, super rich, just kind, a teaser, or even a super hero… you could have ANY guy you want Marinette. Hands down. There’s so much to love about you, it amazes me how you can’t see it… Mari” he softly brought his lips to hers, then he rested his forehead against hers  
“Oh Chat” Mari sighed  
“Don’t you want to go?” he pulled back, eyes wide as he came to realize “I just realized, I hadn’t even asked if you even wanted to go… I don’t want to pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do”  
“Chat… I… I do want to go, it’s just…” Mari dropped her gaze to her feet “how can I put this?..”  
“If you want to go, then go. Have fun. Be yourself, I promise, they’re all going to love you.” He kissed her once more  
“… okay” she whispered as he hugged her. They stayed that way for the next few minutes, wrapped in each other’s warmth and embrace, until they heard the familiar sound of a Miraculous giving the five minute warning.  
“Well Princess… I guess that’s my cue… see ya tomorrow” he hugged her one last time and vaulted away back home.

Mari watched him go, a smile plastered on her face… until she was sure he couldn’t see her. Her fake smile fell and she sighed as she made her way back onto her room “Tikki?” said Kawamii came flying into view  
“Are you okay Marinette?”  
“I… I don’t know” Mari slumped onto her bed “I’m going to a ball… with Adrien…”  
“You don’t sound very happy about that. Isn’t this what you’ve been wanting?”  
“See that’s the thing. I… I thought it was, but now… ugh, I’m JUST getting use to the idea that I could have a crush on Chat Noir, then Adrien goes and asks me out, THEN Chat HIMSELF encourages me to go with Adrien… I mean, I know they’re close, but it’s not as if they’re the same person, right?” Tikki catches her breath, but Mari doesn’t seem to notice “Why are these boys just… SOOO confusing?” then she fell face first into her pillow  
“Oh Marinette” Tikki flew over to pat the poor girl’s head “I’m sure everything is going to turn out fine. I mean, just because you’re going with Adrien, doesn’t mean it has to be a date… you go out with Adrien all the time, even if it’s just you two, like to the movies or to practice your scripts… were those dates?” Mari turned her head to look at Tikki, then she shook her head. Tikki smiled at her “then why does this have to be any different? Relax Marinette. I promise, everything will turn out fine.” Mari smiled back at her “Now, try and get some sleep. You’ll have to be up early to tell Adrien you accept. Goodnight Mari”  
“Goodnight Tikki”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Sorry it's late.  
>  The goal was to have this up by Valentines day, but... you know, Grown-up life can be tricky sometimes...  
> Anyway, this chapter was getting a little too long so I had to break it into two separate chapters... hope that's okay with you all  
> Anyway, coming up... the Royal Ball.  
> Now, just from the title, tell me... what do you think will happen? lol, I'd LOVE to hear your expectations (although I almost guarantee you won't see what I've got coming) if you CAN guess it... I'll dedicate the next chapter to you ;)
> 
> And remember... PLEASE, please please please, PLEASE!!! Comment, comment, COMMENT!!!  
> =^_^=


	22. The Ball Scene (part 2)

*RING* …  
*RING* …  
*RING* …  
Marinette groggily reached around for her phone, not finding it right away, she pouted as she still refused to open her eyes “Tikkiiii” she whined  
“It’s right here Marinette” Mari felt Tikki place her cell in her hand, then she blindly pressed the receive button, bringing the phone to her ear “Hello?” it was too early for this  
“Hello, Miss Dupain-Cheng, this is Nathalie Sancour. I was calling to let you know that we will be arriving to pick you up in exactly… five minutes.” Nathalie? Why was Mr. Agreste’s assistant calling her?… wait, what did she mean she was coming? To GET HER?! “Please be ready and waiting. We have much to do before the Ball tonight-”  
“H-hold on” Mari interrupted, finally sitting up in bed. She chanced a glance at her clock… FIVE A.M.?! “I-I’m sorry Ms. Sancour but, I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about” Marinette waited as it seemed Nathalie was reviewing over her reason for calling  
“Did Adrien not ask you to attend the Royal Ball with him tonight?”  
“He-he did, but… I never gave him an answer” another pause  
“Do you not wish to go to the Ball Miss Dupain-Chang?”  
“Oh, it’s not that, I’d love to go, it’s just-”  
“Very well. We are on root to your residence, please be ready and waiting within the next three minutes, that is all”  
“W-Wait, Nathalie- she hung up” Mari sighed as she fell back into bed  
“Who was that Mari?” Tikki asked  
“Mr. Agreste’s assistant…” just then she heard a knock at her door  
“Marinette Dear, you need to hurry and get up now, Ms. Nathalie just phoned and said she’s on her way, she’ll be here any moment now.” Wait, her parents were in on it too?  
“Okay mom, I’m up”  
“Breakfast is on the counter when you’re done” then she heard her mother make her way back downstairs. Mari groaned as she finally got out of bed. Then she grabbed her phone and dialed a certain model as she began rummaging through her wardrobe  
“Hello?” there was no sleep in his voice at all… was he already awake? At FIVE IN THE MORNING?! Actually, he sounded out of breath… what was he doing? “Mari?”  
“Hi. So, I just got an interesting call… apparently your father’s assistance is on her way over here to pick me up… thing is, I hadn’t told you yet that I WOULD accompany you… actually, I had my alarm set for nine so I could call you for just that… so, WHY is your father’s assistant currently two minutes away from my house?”  
“Wait, what? You said Nathalie is going to your house?”  
“Yes, she just called and told me to be ready… didn’t you know about this?” she asked as she found a nice blue blouse with white lilies on it  
“I swear Mari, I didn’t know anything about this… gosh, and it’s so early… I’m sorry Marinette”  
“Just how did she know that you asked me?” she asked as she picked a clean pair of white jeans to go with the top  
“Actually, she reminded me of the dance when she dropped me off to your house yesterday… and I guess she was the one who slipped the invite into my playbook yesterday. I swear Mari, I didn’t tell her anything.”  
“I’m not accusing you Adrien” she stated as she found that pair of silver sandals she’d been looking for “Just surprised… even more so that it seems my parents are in on it” ah, there’s that scrunchy she’d been looking for  
“Wait, what?”  
“Yeah, get this, apparently after she called me she called my mom, who then knocked on my door to be sure I was getting ready for the day… at five in the morning… like it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, I mean, sure I know it is for them, I mean, they run a bakery, but for me… I usually sleep in on Saturdays”  
“Again, I really am sorry Mari”  
“Don’t worry about it. You’re on speaker, I need to fix my hair” Mari then pressed the speaker button and sat her phone on her vanity as she began brushing through her hair “So, it didn’t sound like I woke you… were you already up?”  
“Yeah. I’ve actually been up for about half an hour now. I have a photo shoot today so I thought I’d get a little exercise in before I had to leave”  
“Exercise?”  
“Yeah, you know… sit ups, push-ups, weights, rock climbing… I’m actually about to hop into the shower real quick, I’m covered in sweat” Mari paused in her brushing as her eyes went wide, a blush showing on her cheeks at the thought of a shirtless Adrien Agreste working up a sweat after a vigorous exercise  
‘No! Bad Marinette! We don’t think of him like that anymore’  
“Um… Mari?... oh, wait… oh my gosh, I made it weird didn’t I? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Marinette, I-I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable… man, I feel like an idiot now” Mari giggled at his ramble of an apology as she began brushing her hair again, putting it up in a high ponytail  
“No, no, it’s okay Adrien”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, it’s no big deal… I was just trying to picture you lifting a weight made out of donuts like you see in cartoons”  
“Hey, those cartoons rock. And if I had a weight like that, it’d just keep getting lighter and lighter each day” Mari giggled again  
“Well, I guess I’d better head down and wait for Nathalie”  
“Yeah, that’d probably be best… see you tonight?” Mari smiled  
“See you tonight” the she hung up as she began her descent down the stairs. However, when she reached the main floor, she was surprised to find that, not only was Nathalie already there, but she was sitting and having coffee with her parents. At that moment Nathalie seemed to notice her presence and stood to greet her  
“Good morning Miss Dupain-Cheng. Are you ready to go? We have your breakfast already waiting in the car, so if you don’t mind, we’re already running slightly behind schedule” Mari blinked dumbly at the woman in front of her, her jaw slightly dropped .just then she felt her mother’s lips kiss her forehead  
“Be sure to have a good time Sweetheart. Remember your manners, be sure to eat lunch, and enjoy yourself” Sabin stated with a gentle smile  
“Nathalie told us that we may not see you for the rest of the day, so just be sure to be good Cupcake” her father added with a side hug. With that, Mari hugged both her parents, and Nathalie led her to the waiting… LIMO?!

 

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to the Gabriel Design building. Mari’s eyes widened as they stopped in front of the doors she had only ever dreamed about possibly being able to walk through. Then the Gorilla got out and opened the door for her. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally stood at the entrance as the car rolled away. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Nathalie with a barely there smile “Well, shall we enter?” the older woman asked. Mari didn’t know how to respond, so she just nodded, and followed after Nathalie as she expertly made her way into the building and through the halls. They passed many rooms, including a gym, the cafeteria, a game room, and an indoor pool.  
“Wow… I never knew this place had so many rooms” Mari observed  
“Yes. Mr. Agreste had each room built accordingly, including a spa, a running track, a café, an art room, a nurses office, an indoor waterfall, a virtual reality room, and childcare for those with children under three. That way the workers wouldn’t need to leave so often and can get more work done. Mr. Agreste has had many researchers come in and assess the employees here. They came to find that when the designers were under less stress, they were able to be more creative, and when they don’t have to leave so often for the likes of food, shelter, or childcare, they tend to get more done. There is also a monitored nap room”  
“A nap room?”  
“Basically it’s a room full of beds for those who need a few extra hours of sleep. Each bed is provided with a company phone line and alarm clock with a max of three hour timer included. This way they can get their needed rest as well as not waist all of their work time sleeping. And to be sure no one takes advantage of such a room, each employee is made aware upon hiring that should they so choose to use this room, the entire room is monitored. This helps to guarantee that the beds will be used properly, as well as to remind them that the timer is serious. However, the beds can be used for more than just sleeping. Just last year, we had one of our designers on bedrest due to her late pregnancy. Mr. Agreste tried to tell her to just stay home and rest, but she had refused and came to work anyway. Mr. Agreste was very disappointed, for even though she was one of our best designers, she always worked too hard for her own good, and seeing as she had a new line coming up, she refused to take leave. So, Mr. Agreste came up with a compromise, she could come into work, however, she had to remain in the nap room the entire time so as not to harm her or her unborn child, he then assigned her an assistant to help her complete her line, as well as he had a nurse always on hand should she go into early labor. You see, Mr. Agreste may seem completely self-absorbed, but in reality, he cares very much for his workers and his family, and will always put their best interest ahead of his own feelings.”  
“If that’s true, then why didn’t he allow Adrien to attend public school before?” Nathalie sighed  
“Since Adrien was born, there were always paparazzi popping up, trying to pin something against the Agreste family, they came close once, but once was close enough, so Mr. and Mrs. Agreste chose to homeschool Adrien to protect him from such a fate. However, as he is now a young man, I was able to convince Mr. Agreste to allow at least this little bit of adult freedom to allow him to practice his interactional skills as well as to make a good name for himself.”  
“Sothat’swhyhejoindinthemiddleoftheyear” Marinette mumbled to herself  
“Yes. Before though, I was his private tutor. With every lesson, I could see the dullness and boredom in his eyes, it was almost like he was dead to the world. But when I caught him sneaking into school his first day, I finally saw a spark there that I hadn’t seen since before his mother disappeared, and let me tell you… if I could keep him alive, full of life, and not like his father… then I would do anything to give him back his youthful years. Not that his father is a bad person, but his cold gazes and responses hurt Adrien to the soul… I’m not blind, and I see it happening in front of my eyes every day. Mr. Agreste may have the best intentions towards his son in mind, but he treats him more like a trophy, or a doll than his own son sometimes. And I refuse to allow Adrien to loose himself to become as such. Adrien has a life in him that no one of us wants to see burn out.”  
“You really care about Adrien, don’t you?”  
“Like he were my own son” Nathalie answered without missing a beat, before stopping in front of a pair of large wooden doors “We’re here” then she opened the door and escorted Marinette into the spa room. “Miss Dupain-Cheng, I’d like you to meet Phillipe, one of our top stylists here at Gabriel, as well as Adrien’s godfather” immediately, an finely dressed man came straight up to her, a considerate look on his face as he circled around Marinette, taking in her every feature  
“This is what you give me to work with? Well Honey, I’ve seen worse. We’re gonna turn this sow’s ear, into a silk purse” with that he took her hand and led her to a changing room where she was told to change into the waiting robe. Once she was finished, she was then led over to a chair where five women were waiting. Once seated, they removed her shoes, then they then began to each pamper a set of nails, while the fifth began to wash her hair in the sink behind her  
“We’ll have you, washed and dried”  
“Primped and polished till you glow with pride”  
“and at the party, you’re sure to catch all eyes”  
“You’ll be the belle of the Ball” the five finished all together. They then wrapped her hair into a towel and whisked her off to the next station where they began drying her hair, while Phillipe stood back and watched with interest as another cosmetologist held up swatches of fabric, Marinette supposed so that they could compare their colors to the tone of her skin. With the dryer done, the hairstylist then began combing through her hair  
“Wait and see, when we’re through”  
“Boys will trip over themselves for you”  
“With good fortune”  
“And a great hairdo”  
“You’ll be the belle of the Ball” the pair finished in perfect harmony. With that, Phillipe then led her away again, leading her to a three-way mirror, where two fashionista’s began holding up different types of dresses to her frame, Marinette supposed, to find the right style for her body type. Phillipe then can and stood beside her  
“Young Miss I promise everything tonight will be okay, and tonight at the Ball, you’ll take his breath away” now how could she respond to that? She wasn’t looking to take his breath away anymore, but… she couldn’t say that now, everyone was working so hard to make sure she looked perfect for tonight. So instead she smiled as Phillipe led her away once again, this time, to a masseuse table where she was treated to a lovely massage  
“You must show, you have good taste. You’re calm, obedient, and can think fast-paced, with good manners and a relaxed face, you’ll be the belle of the Ball” the masseuse sang as she finished her pampering. At that, Marinette was led away, yet again by Phillipe, this time to a shoe cobbler, where Phillipe disappeared for a moment, only to return a moment later with a shunning pair of pumps in his hand  
“Young Miss will these shoes do for you? Stand for me if you can. Now give a little twirl, now come and take my hand.” If Marinette were to be completely honest with herself, she’d have to say that all this pampering was actually pretty fun… not that she’d want it all the time, but being spoiled like this had its perks… she honestly couldn’t believe all these workers were singing as they worked… actually, it sounded kinda familiar… where had she- at that she gasped, her hands flying to her face as a designer came out with the most gorgeous dress she had ever seen. Phillipe left the changing room as three woman entered, two helping to put on such a lovely gown, while the third began applying her make-up  
“When we’re through, you can’t fail”  
“Like a lotus blossom, soft and pale”  
“How could any fellow say ‘No Sale’?”  
“You’ll be the belle of the Ball” the three finished as the all stepped back to admire their work. Mari gasped. The girl she saw in the mirror before her, wasn’t a girl anymore… she was a woman… was she really looking at herself? Just the Phillipe entered again, a smirk on his face as glanced at the beauty before him… for sure, his godson was going to his early death with how stunning she looked  
Am I ready?” Marinette asked. Phillipe chuckled  
“Not yet Young Miss. A ring for your finger” he then lifted her right hand, and placed a ring that appeared similar to Adrien’s on her ring finger “a billfold for necessities” Marinette took the strapped billfold, and peering inside, saw that it contained breath mints, her cell phone, and business cards with her name and number on them “Pearls for natural beauty, you must proudly show it. Now hold that posture, but be yourself, and you could never blow it.” Finally she was led back out towards the waiting car. The Gorilla then opened the backdoor and allowed her to get in as Nathalie took the seat beside him in the front. As they began to drive away, Mari caught a glance of her reflection in the window and sighed  
‘Chat Noir, can’t you see? I wish you were the one escorting me, but to not disgrace the Agreste Family, I’ll be the belle of the Ball’ she thought. Suddenly Tikki appeared in front of her and, seeing the sullen look on her charge’s face, flew into hug her cheek  
“Mari remember I’m here with you, lady luck will help to guide you” then she disappeared in to the clutch just as Nathalie turned around and looked the girl straight in to eye  
“Miss Dupain-Cheng, once you’re there, don’t forget Adrien is your pair. Dance and laugh and enjoy being there, this is your night after all.” Then she turned back around. Mari considered her words when suddenly she heard a deep voice sing out  
“You’ll, be, the belle of the Baaaaaaall”. Mari blinked in shock, did Gorilla just… SING?! Suddenly the whole car erupted into a fit of laughter as they continued on their way back to pick Adrien up from his last photo shoot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... who saw it coming? honestly, who?...  
> lol, okay, so it looks like the Ball scene (starting with the actual invitation to the actual Ball) will actually take up, 3-4 parts, but... okay common, you KNOW I HAD to use this song, it was like.... SSOOOOOOO perfect. =^_^= I mean, who doesn't like "Honor To Us All" from Disney's Mulan?
> 
> Anyway, the Ball will be coming up next, so tell me... what do you guys think will happen?  
> Remember to comment, like, share, and all the fun stuff  
> and again, thank you for your patience. <3  
> =^_^=


	23. The Ball Scene (Part 3)

“Monsieur Agreste, please, attention. The sooner we finish this shoot, the sooner you can go visit that little girlfriend you keep daydreaming about” Vincent rolled his eyes as he readjusted his camera. Adrien blushed furiously  
“Wh-WHAT!? I… I-I don’t have a girlfriend” Vincent looked up from his camera, one eyebrow raised in disbelief  
“Really? Then perhaps that is the problem. You’re lacking focus Adrien, your face reads more like ‘this spaghetti is too good for my presence’ when in fact what I need is ‘I’m going to devour this spaghetti all in one bite’.” Adrien’s jaw dropped as his face grew more red… stupid teenage emotions “Now, look alive. We are going to finish this shoot and then YOU are going to go home and find yourself a nice girlfriend, m’kay?”  
“V-Vincent, while I appreciate the... encouragement, I’m afraid I won’t be going home right after this, in fact, I may not be home till around midnight, at the earliest” Adrien stated as he held his pose  
“And why, Monsieur, is that?”  
“Because I’m obligated to attend the Royal Ball, so as soon as the shoot is over, the dressers are going to help me get ready, the Nathalie and Mari should be here, then we’ll head-“  
“Mari? As in the beautiful Chinese girl I’m constantly seeing in my peripherals whenever we shoot at the park?” Vincent asked with a smirk  
“Well… yeah” Adrien glanced to the ground without moving, embarrassed at how red his cheeks must be now from Vincent reminding him of her fully “and she’s only half Chinese, the other half is French”  
“Does that really matter?”  
“… No.”  
“So why will she be coming along with Miss Nathalie?”  
“She’s my plus-one for the dance tonight” Vincent looked up from the camera, a devilish look on his face… oh no  
“Well then, Monsieur Agreste, here is what I suggest… One, Woo her at the Ball. Two, ask her to be your girlfriend. Three, convince her to come at least ONCE with you to a shoot… your contrasts would go so perfectly well together. And four, I am to be the ONLY Photographer at your wedding”  
“VINCENT!” The older man couldn’t help but to laugh at the boy before him. He had been Adrien’s main photographer for years. He watched him grow into the man he was becoming, and he couldn’t help but tease the boy even just a little bit… it wasn’t often he found a way to make the kid flustered after all (he’d take what he could get) “I-i-it’s not like that… W-we’re just friends, classmates, that’s all, th-there’s nothing going on between us.”  
“Ah, but you face says otherwise… Finito. There, done. I do believe we got at least a few useable shots. Now, go. Get ready for your date, I do believe you only have about twenty minutes until your ride arrives.” Still blushing, Adrien runs off to change into his party suit. 

Twenty minutes later Adrien heads to the waiting car. “Where’s Marinette?”  
“Unfortunately she forgot to grab her portfolio to be able to present examples of her work should she happen upon a possible employer tonight, so she asked that she be dropped off while we picked you up, and then we can pick her up again and head straight to the party.”  
“Oh” was all the boy could say, to be completely honest, he was dying to see how they did her up… not that they’d have to do very much, she’s already drop-dead gorgeous, actually… IS there even a way for her to be anymore lovely?  
“Adrien, would you mind going up and letting Miss Dupain-Cheng know that we are waiting for her when she is done? We still have about half an hour until the doors open, three hours until you’re considered ‘untimely late’, so please assure her that she needn’t rush, she has plenty of time to gather everything she needs .” Nathalie suggested plainly, typing away at her phone. Once the car came to a complete stop in front of the Bakery, Adrien got out, walked around the building to the back entrance and rang the doorbell. A minute later, the door opened to reveal Sabine smiling her brightest at the boy, while discretely sliding her phone back into her apron pocket  
“Adrien, my, don’t you look handsome”  
“Thank you. Is Marinette ready? Nathalie asked me to assure her that she has plenty of time, but to also tell her that once she’s ready, so are we.”  
“She’s still in her room dear. MARINETTE, YOUR RIDE IS HERE! Why don’t you come in and have a seat while you wait? I’m pretty sure we still have some leftover croissants from the bakery today, and I just put on a pot of tea to boil” Sabine added as she headed towards the kitchen to collect the promised items, after leaving the boy sitting on the couch in the living room. A moment later she returned with what looked to be fresh from the oven croissants (they were even still steaming), fresh jam, and white tea.  
“Thank you Mrs. Cheng” Sabine’s smile fell a little  
“Adrien, how many times must I tell you, Sabine is fine dear, or, if you prefer to use a proper title, you can call me ‘mom’.” Adrien nearly choked on his next bite  
“What?”  
“It’s nothing new, many of Marinette’s friends call my husband and I by our parental titles. For example, Alya calls me My-Second-Mother, sweet Rose calls me Mother-Dear whenever she stops by for a muffin on her way to school, Kym has called me Mum since he and Mari were in Pre-K, Nino calls Tom Pops, and Max has even been known to call Tom Father-Of-The-Games from time to time. Really, anything you’re comfortable with is fine by me dear, however, usually my title as Mrs. Cheng is reserved for business conferences and the like. Alight?”  
“Y-yes ma’am” Sabine smiled brightly as she placed a hand over his  
“Adrien, you are always welcomed her, no matter what time of day or night, that includes holidays and special occasions. You know that right? We will always open our doors to our friends, Marinette’s included. So if you ever just need a break from life, some time away from home, or even just a shoulder to cry on-“  
“We promise to always be there with open arms, not to judge you, but to help you back on the right path” Tom finished as he entered the room, wiping his hands on his apron before hanging it on the rack by the door. Adrien smiled at their open honesty as he tried his hardest not to let his eyes tear up  
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Just then they heard a door close and steps descending to their level, all three turned their heads at the sound  
“I’m so sorry Nathalie, I was trying to choose which tablet to bring, but I couldn’t choose, so I was going to bring them all, but they all wouldn’t fit in the clutch Phillipe gave me, so I ended up just grabbing my most recent- Adrien?” Marinette stared in shock. She had thought it was Nathalie who had come in, but she was nowhere in sight. Her mouth ran dry at the realization that she had just totally, probably, sounded conceded having so many journals she could bring… even if she chose to pursue Chat, that didn’t mean she wanted her friend to think she thought herself all high-and-mighty… she wasn’t Chloe after all.  
Adrien on the other hand was having a hard time comprehending anything, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but NOTHING could prepare him for just how beautiful she really was. It felt like hours before his mind was able to get through to him and remind him how to breathe… or maybe that was Plagg who was hiding in his coat pocket. “M-Marinette, you look… Wow” his whole face was burning from his blush. Mari giggled nervously  
“Um, th-thank you Adrien”  
“Well, you kids better be heading out, Oh wait, I almost forgot, I need to grab a picture of you two before you go”  
“Mamman, I told you… this isn’t a date” Mari blushed, Adrien’s heart however dropped to the floor… so… she didn’t want this to be a date… huh, what are the odds of that  
“Oh Mari, don’t be ridiculous. If nothing else, you both look incredible and it deserves to be documented” Sabine stated as she came back with her camera in hand. Mari facepalmed  
“Mom, Adrien’s been at a photoshoot all day already, I really don’t think he wants-“  
“It’s okay Mari, I don’t mind” Adrien interrupted  
“A-are you sure?”  
“Positive. It’s like she said, you look absolutely stunning Marinette, you really should capture the moment. It’ll be a great reminder for your future, don’t you think?”  
“You know… she also wants your picture too”  
“That’s fine with me. I may be a model, and be constantly in front of the camera, but honestly, I hardly have any pictures of myself with any of my real friends.” Adrien smiled, and Mari knew she had lost the battle  
“Alright, if you’re sure, just one picture should be fine”  
“Say Cinderella~” Sabine sang-ordered  
“Mamman…” Mari groaned with a smile. Sabine took the picture, then the two were off to the ball. About five minutes into the drive, Adrien’s phone went off  
‘Nathalie~ From Sabine, she heard you say you didn’t have many pictures with your friends and thought you might like a copy’  
Adrien opened the attachment, and his grin grew from ear to ear. It was perfect. A wonderful shot of him and his princess, and now… it was his phone’s main menus wallpaper.

The ball was immaculate. So many suits, so many gowns, so many cameras, so many celebrities, so much food... Adrien slightly chuckled at the look on her face... her eyes were blown, her jaw was dropped, and her knees were shaking "w-wow..." seems like that's all she could say. Adrien smiled as he offered her his arm, shocking her out of her stupor, he had to try really hard NOT to totally break into a fit of laughter at her confused-turned-embarrassed look. She quickly turned away, deciding to look to the floor to try and hide her ever growing red blush (it was pointless however, he'd already seen, the damage was already done) as she took his offered arm.  
"Shall we then?" She nodded her reply, and they began to descend down to the main floor.  
Marinette chanced a glance up, hoping to just see what dance was possibly being played at the moment... what she was NOT expecting was to see every eye on them. Marinette's hold tightened on Adrien's arm. "Wh-w-what are they all s-staring at?" Adrien looked at the crowd, following their gaze until it landed back on the girl beside him, he smirked  
"They're looking at you." She quickly turned her head to look at him  
"What? No, th-they must be looking at you... I mean, you're famous and popular... I'm just a nobody" Adrien's smirk fell as he stopped walking, turning fully to look at his date (hey, she may not see it as a date yet, but he was going to try very hard to change her mind)  
"Marinette, everyone here is famous and popular, so that would hardly phase anyone here... pure beauty however..." Adrien offered his arm again as he began to lead her down the stairs once again "there are two things going through their minds right now... jealousy and desire" he began, still facing ahead, Marinette copied his example, hoping beyond hope that her blush wasn't showing as much as she felt it was "for the girls, their jealousy is towards the fact that you are, by far the most beautiful being in this very facility. And their desire is towards the desire to have even just an ounce of your natural beauty. As for the men..." at this Adrien smirked, before it fell to a frown "they are jealous of me, for being the one who brought you. And their desire is..." his hold fell from her arm, to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer, a slight squeak left her lips at the unexpected movement. "Stay close to me, alright? Those wolves wouldn't dare come close if there's a panther in the way" Marinette blinked up at him as he led her through the crowd... did he just-... no, no way. There's no way Adrien Agreste would have referred to himself as, not only a cat, but a feral BLACK cat... Mari shook her head in hopes of clearing the thought of Adrien in pure black leather away... she had already decided to pursue HER kitty, she wasn't going to change her mind just because some pretty boy made a bad joke... especially since he didn't seem to be joking.  
Adrien spent the next few hours introducing Marinette to as many designers and fashionteers as he could. He watched as her face lit up when she spoke about the different fabrics she loves to use, or how many different types of stitches she can do (by HAND), and especially when those designers not only looked at her portfolio, but offered her advice and suggestions to make them work better. Adrien watched Mari's smile grow, listened to her giggly laughter, stepped a step away when she would talk to the women and stepped a step closer when the men tried to get her attention. She was so graceful, so petite, so devoted, so humble, so beautiful... was there even a way for him to fall more in love with her? If so, he fully welcomed it with open arms.  
At dinner they just so happened to be sat right next to the greatest of fashionistas herself. Adrien chuckled under his breath as he watched Mari's conversation turn from the latest styles, to fashion history, to apprenticeship, to her families bakery, to the latest dishes her father had been working on, to a promise to have a freshly made strawberry truffle scone made and waiting for the fashionista that next Friday before she left for London. Of all the years he'd seen the woman, he'd never so much as seen her smile, let alone eyes blown wide in anticipation as her grin grew bigger by the second... of course Mari would get her to smile and open up. That's just the kinda girl she is, although, looking at her now... she looks more like a woman... Adrien swallowed the lump suddenly in his throat... this was going to be a LONG night.

Adrien had gone to the bathroom (no, he really did) so Marinette was waiting by the punch bowl for him to return. She had been having the time of her life tonight, speaking with fashionistas, getting advice from designers, that FABULOUS dinner, and even now she was talking to the chef who was restocking the snack table. Yes, everything was amazing, and if she were still allowing herself to crush on Adrien, she may even consider this a date... Marinette sighed. The only thing missing that WOULD make this a date was a certain cat... honestly, she still couldn't believe she'd even developed a crush on the stupid feline in the first place, let alone-  
"Princess, is everything okay?" Marinette’s heart leapt as she smiled big and spun on her heels, only to have it drop to the soles of her feet  
"Adrien"  
"What's wrong?"  
"I-its nothing, just... well, y-you called me Princess, and... Ithoughtyouweresomeoneelse... i-its nothing… really…" Adrien didn't look too convinced, in fact, he looked like he could see right through her, like he KNEW just who she must be thinking of, but he didn't say anything.  
"Alright folks" the announcer began "this will be the last dance for the night, so please, grab a partner and join us in the King and Queens Waltz." As the music began, Adrien stood in front of the girl and offered a hand  
"May I have this dance?" Marinette hesitated, she had been having such a great time, but now... now all she felt was guilt. Here she was with Adrien, yet she was too busy thinking of another boy... she wanted to enjoy herself again, Adrien didn't do anything wrong, he didn't deserve her rotten mood... she took his hand. He lit up, and Mari had to hold back a giggle, if he had had cat ears, she's sure they would have perked up in excitement... hmm... that's a thought... would it be so wrong to, just for this dance, pretend it was Chat Noir she was dancing with?  
~ You’re in my arms, and all the world is calm, the music playing on for only two, so close together, and when I’m with you, so close to feeling alive~  
Adrien led Marinette to the center of the dance floor and, after positioning their stances, began to sway to the rhythm  
~A life goes by, romantic dreams must die, so I bid my goodbye, and never knew. So close was waiting, waiting here with you, and now, forever I know~  
Mari chanced to look up from her feet, only to be met with love-filled evergreen eyes, watching her carefully, a gentle smile on his lips. Her breath caught in her throat… Kitty?  
~All that I wanted, to hold you, so close~  
She felt her partner pull her in closer as their sway began to change pace, allowing Adrien to lead them both into a waltz  
~So close to reaching, that famous happy end~  
He led her so smoothly, their bodies both in sync, a perfect harmony to each other… it was like they’d done this before, like… he knew her every move five steps ahead of time, like… he was her partner  
~almost believing, this one’s not pretend~  
She stared into his eyes, looking for… something. She wasn’t sure what, but… something  
“And now you’re beside me, and look how far we’ve come…” he looked straight into her eyes as he quietly sang along, as if it was directed only towards her “so far, we are, so close”. As the instrumental began, it suddenly felt as if they were the only two in the room. Mari laid her head against his chest, hearing his rapid heartbeat as she closed her eyes, letting him lead her. She felt like she was walking on air, like they were up on the Parisian roofs, dancing under the moonlight, much like they had in her dream, just her and her Chaton. She let herself imagine the dream again and suddenly, with half lidded eyes to find their mark, she leaned up and connected her lips with his. He froze in shock momentarily, before she felt him melt into the kiss, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss.  
Unfortunately, they had to breathe, so with eyes still closed, they broke the connection, and instead rested their foreheads together as they began to sway again “Princess” he whispered  
“Kitty”  
~Oh how could I face the faceless days, if I should lose you now?~  
She felt him stiffen a moment “M-Mari?” She then noticed they’d stopped dancing, and she reluctantly opened her eyes, leaving her dream world behind. Her eyes widened in surprise/shock/fear as she quickly took a step back away from the boy she had just kissed  
“A-Adrien?”  
~We’re so close to reaching, that famous happy end~  
She took another step back as she held her hand close to her chest, her eyes still blown wide. That wasn’t her kitty…  
~almost believing, this one’s not pretend~  
She had just kissed Adrien Agreste “Mari?” he asked, voice full of concern  
~Let’s go on dreaming, for we know we are~  
“I-I’m sorry, I… I-I have to go”  
~So close, so close, and still so far~  
With that she gathered up her gown and began running towards the exit. “Marinette, Wait!” he called after her, finally taking chase after her. He didn’t know why she was acting this way

Chat jumped from roof to roof… he couldn’t find her. When Adrien ran after her, she was already gone. What’s more surprising was that Gorilla was still parked… she didn’t have him take her home? Worried for her safety, he ran between buildings and quickly transformed, and ran to see if she ran home, keeping an eye on the ground in case she hadn’t made it yet, he vaguely saw a blur of red zoom across his path. He paused for a moment, debating asking Ladybug for help… he shook his head. First, he’d see if she was home, then if she wasn’t there… THEN he would ask Ladybug for help… her window was open, the lights were off, her room was empty… she wasn’t there. And now here he was, somewhat panicking as not only could he not find her, but he couldn’t find Ladybug either to help search… where could she have gone? He was just passing the Sein when he heard the soft sniffles of a girls crying. He stopped. He knew that whimper. “Princess?”  
Mari’s head spun around “Ch-Chat?” his hear broke at the sight of her. She was still dressed for the ball, but her hair had fallen out, and her makeup had been wiped away… probably from her trying to dry her tears  
‘I promised myself I would never make her cry again’ he thought as he rounded the bench to sit beside her, gently taking her hand in his one, while using the other to wipe away a stray tear “Hey” he spoke softly “What’s wrong? Did” he gulped “d-did Adrien do something… wrong?” her eyes widened at the accusation  
“No! N-no, he was the perfect gentleman”  
“Oh. Well… good”  
“I on the other hand…” she turned her face away, afraid to see the disappointment in his eyes, she stated to tear up again  
“You?” he gently egged on  
“I… I-I… I kissed him” she whispered through her tears  
“Oh…” he averted his eyes “S-so, um… what… wh-what happened?” she bit her lip, trying to find the right words to start with  
“It… i-it started out pretty okay… pretty great actually… I got to meet so many people, I learned so many new techniques to try out, the food was exquisite, and then… the dance…”  
“The dance?” she nodded  
“I… although I really was having such a great time, I-I couldn’t help…”  
“Mari? He placed a concerned hand on her shoulder  
“Icouldn’thelpbutwishthatyouweretheonetotakeme” she hurried to reply. Chat looked completely shocked  
“What?”  
“I know, I know, we’re just friends, but, i-it kinda felt like a date, and where before I m-might have jumped at the chance to date him… after everything we’ve been through… after that dream…”  
“Dream?  
“I… I couldn’t help it… I was feeling down, and I didn’t want to disgrace the Agreste’s… I needed to have a good attitude, so… I imagined it was YOU I was dancing with, and… I… m-may have gotten a little carried away, it’s just… d-dancing with him… i-it felt like my dream…”  
“What dream?”  
“Where we… w-we danced and.. a-almost…”  
“A-almost w-what?” Mari dropped her head into her hands  
“Ugh, this is so embarrassing… HOW am I ever going to be able to look him in the eye again?”  
“S-so, uh… let me get this straight… y-you kissed Adrien, and then ran away, because-“  
“Because… hewasn’ttheoneIwantedtokiss”  
“I-I was going to say b-because you thought he didn’t reciprocate your feelings… what do you mean he wasn’t who you wanted to kiss?” he sounded hurt. Mari took a deep breath in as she stood to her feet, her back towards him  
“Yes, it was a lovely ball, and yes, it may have been a very nice date if I still had those feelings for him, but… I’ve given my heart away to someone else… someone who, has weaseled his way into my life, who always has my back, would never abandon me, and… has proven his true love for me over and over again, I think we may have even shared a dream together… no, I didn’t want to, but… I think… I-I think I’ve fallen in love with him” Mari turned back around to find the cat hero standing with his back towards her, cat ears flat against his head, belt-tail between his legs, and it appeared he may be holding his chest  
“O-oh, w-well then… he must be… really something then, eh Princess? To have gained your acknowledgement and… your love… it’s no easy task, I can tell you that” he felt a soft small hand wiping away a stray/quiet tear. His eyes shot open just in time to see her close the small gap between them. His eyes shuttered closed again as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. “Mari-“  
“It’s you, you stupid, wonderful, beautiful cat… you were my dream, and… you kinda gave yourself away when you sang about hair product bottles” she winked. He blushed  
“Y-you heard that?”  
“Of course silly Kitty… it was the same song Plagg sang in my dream the other night. That’s how I knew that… well, we shared a dream” Chat gulped  
“So, you’re telling me that… all those songs, the tears, the dance, the… y-you saw them too?”  
“As if I were really there, Mr. Fixer-Upper” she teased  
“And… you’re n-not freaking out over the whole… Kawamii thing? I mean, most people would have flipped their lids at seeing the little destructor”  
“Chat, we literally live in a world where purple butterflies can turn you into monsters… seeing that a magic fairy helps give you your powers doesn’t faze me.” His eyes fell as she gently cupped his cheek “You see, having that dream, it made me realize something… I realized who has been beside me this whole time, who actually cares about me and my wellbeing, who I want to be with, who I can always rely on… and that… I’ve fallen in love… I love you, Chat Noir”  
“Oh thank goodness” he pulled her into another kiss “I love you too Princess… I think I always have, it’s just… I was too blind to see it. I love you” he kissed her again “I love you” and again “I love you” and again. Mari giggled as he covered her face in random kisses “All those days, watching from a window, all those years, outside looking in, all that time, never even knowing just how blind I’d been. Now you’re here, blinking in the star light. Now you’re here, suddenly I see. Standing here, it’s oh so clear, I’m where I’m meant to be. And at last I see the light, and it’s like the fog has lifted, and at last I see the light, and it’s like the sky is new, and it’s warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you.” Chat pulled back enough to look her in the eye, then he smiled as he took her left hand in his right and rested his left on her waist while she rested her right hand on his shoulder as they began to waltz  
“All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years, living in a blur. All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were. Now you’re here, shining in the star light. Now you’re here, suddenly I know. If you’re here, it’s crystal clear, I’m where I’m meant to go.”  
“And at last I see the light,” they sang in unison  
“And it’s like the fog has lifted” Chat soloed  
“And at last I see the light” they sang together  
“And it’s like the sky is new,” Mari added in  
“And it’s warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you” they finished as a duet as they slowed their dance down to a still “Now that I, see, you.” Chat brushed a strand of hair out of Mari’s face before he leaned down and captured her lips with his, hoping beyond hope to show her just how much he loved her.

Chat had escorted her home. She bypassed her eager parents who were trying to ask about her night, and went straight to her room. After changing out of her dress and removing all the make-up and hair accessories, she fell back into her bed, hugging her cat-pillow like it were her lifeline. “Tikki… he kissed me… he kissed me and I kissed him and we danced and we sang and…” she squealed in delight  
“I’m happy for you Marinette, and while normally I’d be fine with you telling me every detail as if I wasn’t there, don’t you have your play tomorrow?” Mari shot up  
“Oh, right…” she giggled “I supposed I SHOULD get some sleep shouldn’t I?” Tikki giggled back  
“Yes, I think that would be the wise decision. You want to be well rested and energized for your performance tomorrow.” Tikki floated over to lay by her charges head once the girl was all tucked in “Goodnight Marinette”  
“Goodnight Tikki. See you in the morning”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Sorry for the late update (Grown-up life, grown-up responsibilities, grown-up job, grown-up bills... you get the idea)  
> 2\. Thank you all for sticking with me thus far, hope you like this chapter  
> 3\. The Play scene is coming up (okay, any guesses as to what's to come? correct guesses will get a star)  
> (remember, Mari=Snow, Adrien=Huntsman, Chloe=Wicked Queen, Nathaniel=Prince, Sabrina=Mirror, Alya=tree, and Nino=Narrator... how could ANYTHING go wrong?)  
> 4\. Who would like to see Mr. Gabriel Agreste himself sing?  
> 5\. Don't forget to COMMENT, like, bookmark, share, and the whole shenanigans, k?  
> (seriously though... comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!)  
> (6. Comments let me know you guys actually read it, as well as inspire me to get the next chapter out sooner... just saying)  
> =^_^=


	24. Play Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* : ANGST UP AHEAD! I REPEAT, ANGST UP AHEAD!
> 
> you're welcome (please don't kill me)

The day had finally come. After months of reading, memorizing and practicing the script. After that Disney-fanatic Akuma, and all the teasing from Alya. It was finally here…  
Marinette jumped from her bed and rushed to the bathroom to shower, change, and get ready for the day. There was only ten hours till curtain call. Mari walked around her room as she reread the script again to be sure she knew her lines. She blushed at the memory of Chat practicing with her, which lead to the memory of Chat kissing her, which lead to the memory of the ball last night, which lead to the memory of their kiss… which lead to Mari spinning on her heels as she squealed like a little school girl. Tikki just sat on the bed smirking, watching her charge, only guessing at what could possibly be going through her girl’s head. “Oh Marinette… you have got to get better control of your emotions” suddenly Mari heard Tikki eep. After about five minutes of complete silence, she turned around to see what the matter was, only to come face to face with none other than Chat Noir himself, covering his mouth as if trying to stop the giggles from coming out.  
“Hey Princess, what’s got you in such a meow-volous mood?” Mari pouted before the blush became too much for her, causing her to turn around while still covering her face  
“Kitty… wha-wh-what are you doing here?” boy was she glad she was already ready for the day  
“Well” Chat started, before she felt him wrap her into a warm embrace from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder “today’s the day of the play, right? The day my Princess, BECOMES a Princess” he spoke quietly in her ear before gently kissing under her ear. Mari giggled. Chat sighed “You have no idea how badly I wish I was the Prince.” She could hear the pout in his voice “then I could show the whole world, you’re mine” he kissed her shoulder as her hand came up to rub through his hair. Chat purred as he tightened his hold on her, causing her to sigh in bliss. She turned around, still in his hold, wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed the love of her life.  
“There is nothing that I would want more” she whispered back as she rested her head against his chest “unfortunately, unless you’re Nathaniel, that’s not the case. Which would be impossible since I do recall you fighting the Evillustrator not too long ago” she looked up at him with a smirk before flicking his bell, causing the poor boy to blush like crazy. Mari giggled before smiling up to the boy in black leather, gently caressing his face with her hand “Hey… you know you have nothing to worry about, right? I’ve already spoken with Nathaniel, and… HE actually suggested we not really kiss. He said he’s been looking up different ways to make it seem like a kiss, without our lips actually touching in any way.” Chat let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in  
“Oh thank goodness” he smiled as he rested his forehead on hers “to be honest, I don’t know if I’d even be able to see another guy kissing you… fake or not… but… if he’s not going to even come close, then… I suppose I won’t have to get the claws out” he wiggled his eyebrows with a giant Cheshire grin on his face. Marinette laughed  
“Chat… You’re hopeless”  
“-ly in love” Chat finished “with you, and only you… my lady” Mari blinked as he pulled her into another hug, finding comfort in the smell of her hair  
“What?”  
“Well Princess, I should probably go and get ready for tonight myself… I’ll see you later, my love” with that he gave her a quick peck, bringing Mari back to reality, before she watched him scurry back out the sky roof window. A small smile on her lips  
“See you later”

 

Two hours… there was only one hour until curtain call… rehearsal went great, and honestly, seeing how from his side view, he could see the so-called “kiss” was just him blocking her face with his head, Adrien felt much better about the whole thing… good thing too… he really didn’t want to have to explain to Ladybug why he suddenly cataclysmed some “random boy”. They had just finished rehearsal and were heading to the back for last minute touch-ups to their costumes and make-up, when Adrien noticed, as the boy was walking past him, that Nathaniel seemed pale. Adrien quickly grasped the boys arm, gaining his attention “Hey, are you alright?” Nathaniel blinked before seeming to have caught what the model-boy asked  
“Wha- oh, I’m fine, really, just uh… preperformance jitters?”  
“Stage freight?”  
“I think so… I don’t know… my stomach hurts, I’m nauseous, I couldn’t keep anything down all day, I’m exhausted-“  
“Woah, dude” Adrien caught Nathaniel as he started to sway a little, leading him over to a chair before handing him a bottle water “Seriously, do you need a doctor?” Nathaniel finished the bottle before rising to his feet again  
“Thanks, and no, I ‘m fine. This play means too much for everyone. I’m just going to go to the bathroom, see if that helps”  
“Okay, but hurry back, It’s curtain call in ninety minutes”  
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine”

Finally… it was time. Nino, dressed in his fancy 1700’s minstrel costume, complete with HUGE feather cap, steps up to the podium off the side of the stage. Then he dramatically pulls this totally oversized book out, clears his throat and begins to read  
“Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful queen who wanted nothing more than to have a child. One day she pricked her finger as she looked out into the winter world before her, and she watched as a single drop of blood landed on the pure snow. She wished for a child with hair as black as ebony, lips as red as blood, and skin as white as snow. 9 months later the queen died during childbirth, leaving behind the King with a brand new baby girl, the King named her Snow White. The King later remarried a beautiful maiden, but then soon after died, leaving Snow White in the care of her stepmother. The queen hated the girl and forced her to work as a servant. However, this new queen was a proud sorceress and had used her magic to enchant a mirror, so every day she would go down to the mirror and ask the same question”  
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Chloe asks dramatically  
“And every time the mirror would answer”  
“Oh. You are great Queen, the fairest of them all” Sabrina’s face suddenly appeared in the mirror before it disappears again after her part ended  
Chloe scoffs “Of course I am” she add-libs, flipping her high ponytail. The audience chuckles. Nino rolls his eyes… he should have known  
“But one day the answer was different”  
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest, and most beautiful of them all?" Sabrina appears again, looking a little nervous  
"W-well, while you are quite beautiful my Queen, this is true, it would seem Snow White is even more beautiful than you” the Queen looks shocked before pure rage consumes her  
“WHAT?! That’s ridiculous… Utterly RIDICULOUS!!! I must be rid of this STUPID BRAT once and for all. But I can’t do it myself, after all, I just got my hair done and the LAST thing I want to do is chip a nail, so HOW am I supposed to get RID of her?”  
The mirror looks taken aback, waiting for the queen to continue, but seeing as it looked like she wouldn’t herself…  
“Um… maybe you could… hire someone?”  
“Like WHO!?”  
“Uh, well… the… huntsman?”  
“Wow, you CAN actually accomplish something when you put MY mind to it… HUNTSMAN!” Adrien (complete with his overdramatic blond beard) hurries to his place  
“You called my queen?” he bowed. Chloe smirked  
“Hmm… I like that… say it again” Adrien blinked at her as Nino facepalmed  
“Uh… y-you called?” Chloe waited, but at seeing that he wasn’t saying anymore, she huffed  
“Fine. It would seem that APPEARENTLY that stupid stepdaughter of mine is SOMEHOW more BEAUTIFUL than ME! Which is UTTERLY ridiculous… Everyone KNOWS that I am the most beautiful of all. Everybody loves me. How DARE she even CONSIDER even THINKING of over shining me. After EVERYTHING I did for that little brat. No. Take her into the forest and DON’T COME BACK without her dead heart in your hands.” At this Chloe stood proud, a smug look on her face as she crossed her arms. Adrien gulped (this was so different from that one time he’d practiced with Alya, Nino and Marinette)… at the memory, Adrien began to blush, thankfully having his back towards the audience.  
“Uh…” Nino started, trying to get the script back on track “The poor huntsman took Snow White into the forest, but found himself unable to kill the girl. Instead, he let her go, and brought the queen the heart of a wild boar.” Adrien led Marinette to the forest, let her run to the other side of the stage, and then walked back to his original side.

The play is going off without a hitch, and seeing Mari dressed in that beautiful gown takes him back to their first kiss… speaking of which, it’s getting close to time for the great climax. Adrien turned to wish Nathaniel good luck only to find… “Rose?”  
“Adrien, have you seen Nathaniel?” Adrien blinked… what?  
“Um, no, not since after the last rehearsal, wait… didn’t he ever come out of the bathroom?” Adrien and Max (who had been managing the special effects) ran to the bathroom. The witch was about to come on… they had to hurry. They pushed the door open to find… empty. “Wha-“ just then Adrien’s phone rang “Hello?”  
“Adrien?”  
“Nathaniel, where are you? It’s almost your part. Is- Is that sirens in the background?”  
“I’m sorry, I thought I could make it, but the pain just became too much, so I called my mom to pick me up. I was just going to go home and take a cool bath, then return with plenty of time to redress and perform, however… I never made it into the tub… I… I have kidney stones Adrien. Everything hurts so bad. My mom called an ambulance, and now we’re on our way to- to the hospital”  
“Oh my gosh. Nath, are you going to be okay?”  
“I may have to have surgery, the stone I passed at home was about the size of a dime, but that’s not- not why I’m calling”  
“Okay, shoot”  
“Adrien, you have to be the Prince”  
“WHAT?!”  
“Adrien listen… I know you like her, and I know she likes you. This play means everything to everyone, we CAN’T let them down. You HAVE to do it”  
“… okay”  
“Okay. Good. Look, I’m sorry but I have to go”  
“Yeah, yeah sure, no problem, you just take care of yourself, we’ll be fine here”  
“Great. And Adrien… break a leg” and with that, he hung up. Adrien stared at the phone in shock as he pressed end call  
“Was that Nathaniel? Where is his location? Will he make it back in time for the presentation?” Max asked, concern for his friend and the show  
“Nathaniel’s not coming”  
“WHAT?!”

Adrien stepped out of the dressing room being back in his huntsman costume. This wasn’t expected. Yes, he KNEW the part backwards and forwards, but everyone had already seen him as the huntsman, so, in order to make this work… he’d have to wing it.

Everyone backstage was trying to figure out what was going on and how they could possibly fix this, when the huntsman appeared, wearing the crown on his head. All eyes were on the “bearded” man as he stood aside waiting for his cue… he had to time this perfect. 

The Queen had been taken down as now the dwarves were gathered around the sleeping Princess. Adrien took a deep breath before stepping forward. Keeping his eyes on her, he removed the crown, dropping it to the floor, before he removed the beard, doing quite the same, not even taking into account the gasps, and murmuring going on throughout the audience as they watched the “shaggy huntsman” finally remove his coat, leaving him in in his long sleeved baggy/frilly undershirt and baggy black pants… looking every part the Prince that he was.

Marinette was laying on her make-shift bed, eyes closed, waiting for her “prince” to come and “kiss” her awake. She almost chuckled at the hilarity of it all… after all… last time she was like this, Chat had LITERALLY kissed her awake. “Oh fair Princess, for behold, I have come for you” her breath caught… that wasn’t Nathaniel… heck, he didn’t even HAVE a line… no it sounded like… “Forgive me, my Princess, my love, for deceiving you so. For I had to know if the rumors were true” Chat? “That one so beautiful, and one so kind, can possibly exist in this lowly world” what was he doing here? “Behold your servant, whose heart you stole, who could not bear to see harm come to a single hair of your head” he was getting closer “My Love, since the day I last saw you, I have not stopped looking for you” he was so close… “For days upon days, I combed these forests for even a hint of your presence” she could hear him so well “And finally, I found you. But Lo, it appears as if I’m too late, but to perhaps, share a single kiss” she felt the bed shift as he sat down at her side. Her breath caught as she felt his hand caress her cheek, as he drew closer to her face… this was really happening “Permit me Princess” he whispered just before his lips collided with hers. He kissed her, and it felt like FairyGodmother all over again. Before she knew it, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and had begun kissing him back.  
The entire auditorium roared as they had yet to pull away, and the curtain closed on them  
“So uh” Nino started, trying to hide his smug grin as he looked to the now closed curtain “After they finally stopped kissing, the Prince, who I guess had been in disguise this whole time, gathered Snow White up on his royal steed, and led her home to his castle, where they married, had three kids and a hamster. And of course, all the dwarves and aunty fox would come over for a visit whenever they could. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.” Again the auditorium erupted into cheers and standing ovations.

Eventually they had to come up for air. They broke apart, resting their foreheads on each other’s, neither had yet to open their eyes. Mari smiled as she felt the boy in front of her gently stroke her cheek, and she allowed herself to relax into his hand. “Marinette… I love-“  
“GHAAAAA!!! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?! ADRIKENS, GET AWAY FROM HER!” Chloe shouted. Ad-ri-kins? Mari’s eyes flew open before they grew wide and her hands flew to cover her mouth, as she tried to hurry back away from the boy in front of her  
“A-ADRIEN?!” Adrien looked confused, and… hurt? “WHAT’S GOING ON!? WHY ARE YOU HERE?! WH-W-WHY WERE YOU KISSING ME?! I-I-I-I-” Mari sprang off the bed and ran. Everyone stared, eyes bulged, jaws dropped, looking between a shocked Adrien, and towards the crying girl running away… and it was clear, those were NOT tears of joy. Finally, seeming to come out of his stupor, Adrien jumped to his feet and started running after the girl  
“M-MARINETTE, WAIT!” everyone just stared after the boy running after the girl that everyone THOUGHT had still been crushing on him, and yet… had just run away from him? Alya was the first to speak  
“Uhhh… what just happened?”

Marinette ran to the dressing rooms before pulling out her purse, Tikki flew out the moment the clutch opened, prepared to give her gratitude for a show well done, but the moment she saw the tears in the girls eyes, her smile fell and she flew to her charges cheek “Oh Marinette”  
“T-Tikki, I… I can’t”  
“Shh, just say the word”  
“T-Tikki, spots on”

Adrien ran into the dressing room, searching every station “Mari?” she wasn’t there. He tried the bathroom “Marinette?!” empty. He searched every room he could find “MARI?!” Adrien ran back to the changing room and straight for his gym bag. Plagg took one look at the boys panicked state  
“What’s going on? I was dreaming about Camembert”  
“No time Plagg. Mari ran away and I can’t find her anywhere in the school” Plagg’s eyes widened  
“What did you do”  
“No time. Plagg, CLAWS OUT!”

Chat jumped from building to building looking for his Princess, scanning every nook and cranny she could have snuck through. Turning up nothing, he began heading towards the bakery… she wasn’t there. beginning to feel worried, he doubled back to retrace his steps and see if he just overlooked her. Chat landed gracefully on a random roof, surprised at whose back was towards him, stock still like she couldn’t move. Wait… she knew Mari, maybe she knew where the girl was hiding “LB, have you seen Marinette?” Ladybug spun around, wide eyes full of tears  
“Chat?”  
“Ladybug, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked concerned  
“Why are you looking for her?” she asked back, totally ignoring his questioning  
“After the play she ran away, everyone’s worried about her, please, I have to find her” Ladybug folded her arms across herself as she avoided eye contact  
“M-maybe she doesn’t want to be found. Maybe she’s confused because… b-because…” she couldn’t bring herself to say it. How could she tell the love of her life that she had willingly kissed another boy, somehow thinking it was him… his own friend, her first crush at that?  
“Ladybug please, if you know where she is, I need to find her. I have to explain” that caught the bugs attention  
“Explain? What could you possibly have to explain?”  
“I have to make her understand that she’s only ever kissed one guy” and just like that… Ladybugs heart dropped. Wait, if she had only kissed one guy… and she’s kissed both Adrien AND Chat (Nathaniel doesn’t count… he kissed her and it didn’t even work), then… then that would mean…  
“what?” she whispered. It all started to click. How they both sounded so alike, how Adrien was ALWAYS disappearing during Akuma attacks, how genuine Chat seemed when he was serious… Adrien had spoken about having a secret second job… how he fell for two girls… he’d quoted a movie scene to the one, yet still desperately loved the first, which would mean… he loved both sides of her “What?” she asked a little louder. But he had stated that he loved the first girl first before he got to know the second girl, but they were both her… but if he loved the first girl… why did he try to get to know the second?... wait… did he already know? “What?” she asked again. And if he already knew, that would mean he knew in the very first place, including… FairyGodmother… if he KNEW like she suspected, then he would have known that, yes, she was the only one to know where the heroine was, because she IS said hero “What?!” her shock turned to confusion. But if he knew she was Ladybug, did that mean… he didn’t kiss Marinette, but Ladybug? ”WHAT?” So was this WHOLE thing a LIE?! Was he just USING Marinette to get to Ladybug this WHOLE TIME?! “WHAT?!” her confusion turned to fury. Was ANY OF IT REAL?! Was he just PLAYING with her HEART?! Were all the talks, the songs, that dream, those dances, the kisses… WAS ANY OF IT REAL?! “WHAT?!” her fists balled at her side as she spun on her heels, eyes full of rage as she stared at her shocked looking partner, seeming to understand what he just let slip  
“Oh sh-“  
“ADRIEN AGRESTE?!”  
“M’ladybug, please, you can’t tell-“  
“Oh what, you’re just going to LIE to me again? I can’t believe you. I honestly can’t believe you! How could you DO THIS?! DO YOU JUST LIKE GOING AROUND, BREAKING GIRL’S HEARTS?! AND DON’T YOU DARE PULL OUT THAT M’LADY CRAP! Two girls huh? You’re in love with TWO GIRLS?! I can’t BELIEVE I believed you! How could I be so STUPID?! Well guess what? You just lost red pepper AND sweet vanilla! I HOPE you’re HAPPY!! I’M GOING HOME! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!! AND DON’T FOLLOW ME!!!” she shouted before taking her yo-yo and jumping away.

Chat just stood there, shocked. What was that all about? How did she know about that analogy? She must be closer to Marinette than he originally thought. At that thought, he remembered his main point for coming out in the first place. “Mari” He’d have to worry about Ladybug later, for now, he headed back to the bakery to see if his Princess was home yet.

When he arrived, he noticed the roof window was open. He let out a breath in relief as he quickly jumped the last roof, jumping in through the window, then jumped off her bed, sticking a perfect landing. She had her head in her arms, folded on her desk, and she was… crying? “Princess?” Chat went to take a step, before hearing a *crack*. He looked down to see that he had stepped on a framed picture of (Adrien) him. His eyes widened as he continued his trail, seeing, probably just about every picture she’d had of both Adrien AND Chat, were thrown to the floor, those in frames, cracked as if they were thrown with forc- *OOF!!*  
“GET OUT!” Chat looked up in shock at the furious girl in front of him, perfectly prepared with another pillow to throw at him “I SAID GET OUT! YOU MANGY CAT!”  
“Princess, what’s wrong, wh-why are you so mad? Did- d-did Adrien really effect you that mu-“  
“I SAID GET OUT!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, angry tears covering her face “I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN ADRIEN AGRESTE! JUST GET OUT!!!” if it was possible, his eyes grew wider as his heart completely stopped for five beats. His jaw dropped… she knew?  
“M-Mari, please, I… I-I can explain-“ her second pillow hit his square in the jaw  
“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! HOW CAN I BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY?! WAS ANY OF IT REAL?! WAS I JUST A QUICK WAY TO GET TO ‘YOUR LADY’?!” she mocked  
“What? No, Princess, please, just let me-” and now she’s resorted to throwing those stuffed dolls at him as he took step by step towards her, using his arms to shield his face as he walked  
“NO! YOU DON’T GET TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU USED ME LIKE THAT! I CAN’T BELIEVE I FELL FOR IT! I CAN’T BELIEVE I FELL FOR YOU! YOU USED ME! YOU LIED TO ME! HOW COULD YOU?! I TRUSTED YOU! I LOVED YOU! I WANTED TO BE WITH YOU! I HAD JUST GOTTEN OVER YOU… WAS THIS ALL JUST SOME STUPID GAME?! WAS I THE PRIZE TO BE WON!? HOW COULD-” Chat caught her wrist before her next throw  
“Marinette, what are you talking about? Look, I’m sorry I lied to you, but… this was never a game to me… I… I really do want to be with you… I… I love-“ *SMACK*  
“Don’t LIE to me!” she stated through tearful, gritted teeth. Chat looked back to the girl to find her looking to her feet, her bangs blocking out her eyes… but not the tears falling to the ground  
“Mari-“  
“Just… go… now. I can’t look at you right now.” Her voice suddenly took on a solemn tone, breaking the cat’s heart into two  
“Marinette, you know I can’t do that… you’re too upset, and I…” he really didn’t want to have to fight her as an Akuma… there’s even a chance that he’d even give up his ring just so he wouldn’t have to fight her. Marinette chuckled  
“Funny… real funny… I’m pretty sure the Ladybug Miraculous pretty much makes me immune… don’t worry about that… just… go” he reached out to touch her cheek  
“M-Mari-” but she caught his wrist  
“Please… j-just… just go” she nearly whispered out, before dropping her grasp on him. Chat sighed as he took a step back, scratching the back of his neck  
“I’m… I’m sorry” she stayed looking down, refusing to acknowledge him. Sadly, he made his way back to her open window, taking one last glance at the girl, he saw that she hadn’t moved a muscle… “iloveyou” he mumbled, then he jumped out the window, making his way back home.  
The moment he left, her tears came on full force as she collapsed in on herself, falling to the floor, sobbing loudly. Tikki tried to comfort her the best she could, but seeing how her charge needed another form of comfort, Tikki flew into her purse, grabbed her phone, stuck it by Mari’s face and hit call  
…  
…  
..- “Girl, what happened, where did yo-” Alya stopped talking at hearing the loud cries of her best friend “Stay where you are, I’m coming” then the call ended  
Ten minutes later found Alya holding a bawling Marinette in her arms, melting chocolate ice cream forgotten to the side. “He l-lied to m-me… i-it w-w-was h-him th-th-the w-wh-whole t-time”  
“Shh, shh, it’s alright girl, I’m here. It’s gonna be alright. It’s all gonna be okay. Do you want me to find him and put him into your misery?”  
“Y-you mean, ou-out of h-his m-mis-sery?”  
“No, I meant into your misery… I’d gladly make whichever boy hurt you miserable… even if it was Mr. Sunchild himself” at that, she began to cry again. Alya held her tighter, gritting her teeth “I’mgonnahurtthatboy” she mumbled under her breath.  
The next morning when Tom and Sabine went to wake their daughter, they found the two girls holding each other, fast asleep, surrounded by used tissues, forgotten ice cream moved to the coffee table, and once hanging pictures now scattered along the floor and in the trash bin. Sabine and Tom looked to each other, concern shown on both their faces. It was obvious something went wrong. So… Tom went out to buy more chocolate ice cream and tissues, while Sabine called the school and Alya’s mother, informing them that neither girl would be making it to class that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Okay. So. Um... surprise?  
>  I know, I'm being a bit harsh on the kids, but... it needed to be done for this fic to go on (Plus... this has KINDA been the main story plot from... practically the beginning)... Please don't kill me... it WILL get better... eventually... I promise...  
> Oh, and in case you didn't catch on... Chat/Adrien STILL has no idea that Mari is actually Ladybug... YET! (Don't worry... it's coming)  
> And lastly... Sorry we didn't get singing Gabriel this chapter (this chapter got to long to include it, so here to hoping it makes it in NEXT chapter... AKA, it's already written out... the song that is ;) )
> 
> and as always... PLEASE, please please please, PLEASE!!! Comment, comment, COMMENT!!!  
> =^_^= (::)<


	25. Explanation???

Adrien had just returned home from “trying” to visit Mari before she threw him out… she knew… she knew who he was… had… had L-Lady bug… told her? Adrien sighed as his transformation wore off. He was just about to walk over and fall into bed, when he heard his bedroom door open. “Adrien, where have you been?” the boy looked shocked… Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Gabriel Agreste, in the flesh. Adrien ignored his father as he continued over to his bed “You do realize what time it is, correct? Nathalie has been searching everywhere for you. So answer… where have you been?” Adrien groaned before turning his head to glare at his father  
“Oh, so Nathalie was looking for me? Not my own father?”  
“Adrien don’t be ridiculous. You realize by you leaving out of the blue like that you left ME to try and explain JUST what you were doing up on stage… honestly, you came out as the Prince, after already coming out as the huntsman.” Adrien sat up with wide blown eyes  
“You were there?” Gabriel sighed  
“Yes I was there. Just what WERE you thinking, playing two roles off like that? Does the school NOT have enough of a male population to provide a separate Prince? Not to mention, Miss Bourgeois has been calling me non-stop, informing me that the girl playing Snow White got the role only because of her looks and because everyone felt bad for her… she also tells me that this girl has been trying to take your attention away from everything important, and that as an aspiring Fashion Designer, she’s using you to get ahead of the game-“  
“You’re Wrong!” Adrien shot back  
“… Are you calling me a liar, Adrien?”  
“No. Chloe’s the liar. Mari got that part fair and square. Heck, she didn’t even want to try out at first, but all of us… all of her friends… we knew she could do it. And yes, she may be a designer, but she doesn’t NEED my name to go places, nor would she EVER use me like that. She’s already designed a cover AND glasses for Jagged Stone, she creates her own clothes, she MADE most of the costumes for the play tonight, INCLUDING her own, she won that hat competition of yours a couple years ago, and her drawings… honestly I’m not sure if anyone else has actually seen them yet, but they’re exquisite… she doesn’t NEED to use my name to get anywhere. She’s doing that all on her own. Chloe’s just jealous because everyone really DOES love Marinette. She’s humble, strong, beautiful, sweet, compassionate, joyful, bashful, talented, proud, and just… plain good. She’s… she’s my best friend father… and I will NOT let you bash her good name” Adrien rose to his feet as he stared down his father from the other side of the room. Gabriel just glared back  
“So tell me… just WHERE did you go after your little play was over?”  
“She ran away, so I went chasing after her”  
“And WHY, pray tell, did she run away?”  
… “becauseIkissedher,and…shekissedmeback” Adrien mumbled. Gabriel paused his next move, considering his next words  
“So… it was a real kiss after all” Adrien hung his head in shame. He couldn’t help it, he saw her lying there, and it was like FairyGodmother all over again… he had to kiss her. Gabriel sighed as he pinched his nose-bridge “Adrien, just what were you thinking?” the boy stayed quiet “WHY did you think it would be such a good idea to actually kiss her? In public at that?”  
“I’m… I-I’m sorry father, it’s just… I-I couldn’thelpit,shejust-”  
“Adrien quit with the mumbling, you KNOW how I hate the mumbling” said boy took a deep breath in  
“I said, I’m sorry father, I just couldn’t help it. Ever since FairyGodmother, she’s all I can-”  
“FairyGodmother? The akuma?”  
“Yes”  
“What does an akuma have to do with this?”  
“Marinette, she had gotten hit, turning into Snow White, and falling into a death like sleep… I kissed her awake” Gabriel looked taken aback “Father, the only way for her to have woken up, was to have been given true love’s kiss. I kissed her. I woke her. Even if she didn’t realize it.”  
“… and why wouldn’t she have realized it?”  
“The attack happened during dress rehearsal… I was… in costume, you could say”  
“You could say?” Adrien shifted from foot to foot, suddenly not wanting to continue this conversation  
“Father… she’s… she’s my best friend. She knows more about me than… probably myself. She-”  
“So… she’s a stalker?”  
“WHAT?! NO! Father, please, I’m trying-”  
“So, she’s told you she loves you then?” Adrien looked to his feet, using his bangs to hide his eyes  
“maybenotanymore” he mumbled so quietly, you’d need super hearing to even catch he said anything. Gabriel, however, took his “silence” as confirmation.  
“Tell me you don't think she's serious. Look at you, and you wonder why she's obsessed. Listen to your daddy, stop being such a Laddie, Father...”  
“NO! FATHER YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND... I LOVE HER!!!” Adrien shot his head up, pure rage in his eyes towards his father, for even suggesting her to be superficial   
“Love her? Oh, I see how it is... Adrien knows best, Adrien's so mature now, for sure you’ve giver her your heart. Adrien knows best, there's nothing you could give this, commoner, for her professional start?” Adrien’s rage turned to shock. Did… did he just suggest…  
“Wh-what do you-?”  
“Consider who you are, don't let her deceive you, take it all away, watch you'll see,”  
“What?” what did he mean… take it all away?  
“Trust me my boy, that's how fast she'll leave you, I won't say I told you so. No Adrien knows best, so if you're sure she's worth it, why don't we put it, to the test?” Was he being cut off?!  
“FATHER WAIT!”  
“When she's caught lying, don't come crying, Father knows best.”  
“FATHER STOP!!!” Adrien yelled out, rushing to catch the slamming the door before Gabriel disappeared again for who-knows-how-long   
“Adrien. Let go”  
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, PUT IT TO THE TEST!?”  
“Your actions tonight caused quite the disturbance. Causing me to have to explain your actions… with a commoner no less, as well as causing Miss Bourgeois to nearly have a panic attack. Like it or not, this is our social standards. So for the next three weeks… you are grounded. This includes no commoners, no cellphone, no public school, no photo shoots, and no financial access of any sort. You will attend school, and return home. And to make up for the trauma you put her through, you will entertain Miss Bourgeois, and try to make up with her. As of this moment, for the next three weeks, you, Adrien Agreste, are under house arrest.”  
“WHAT?! YOU’RE CUTTING ME OFF!? WHAT, JUST BECAUSE I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH CHLOE?! YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T DO THIS! IT’S SUMMER VACATION, YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY MY FRIENDS FROM ME! PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!!!”  
“ENOUGH!” Gabriel straightened his posture “You brought this on yourself. Miss Bourgeois was the one to suggest you not see that commoner-”  
“Her name is Marinette” Adrien spat out through gritted teeth  
“She informed me how this… girl, seems to fawn all over you, touching you inappropriately, in public at that-”  
“AND YOU’RE JUST GOING TO BELIEVE HER?! CHLOE’S A LIAR! IF ANYONE HAS BEEN INAPPROPRIATE, IT’S CHLOE!”  
“YOU WILL NOT SPEAK OF THE MAYORS DAUGHTER LIKE THAT!” Adrien looked shock… are you serious? He gritted his teeth  
“So you’re telling me… that I’m under house arrest… to please Chloe… so that you can get in good with her father?... AM I JUST SOME POLITICAL PUPPET TO YOU?!”  
“I will NOT have MY son gallivanting around with some nobody COMMONER!”   
… “Wasn’t mom a nobody commoner?” Adrien asked lowly. Gabriel’s eyes widened before he spun on his heels  
“Goodnight Adrien” and left the younger standing in the doorway.   
\---  
Alya greeted Sabine as she came through the door, two tubs of chocolate ice cream, and a box of new tissues in her arms “How is she?”  
“She got home about ten minutes ago… it doesn’t seem good dear…”  
“Don’t worry… I’ll do everything I can to help her”

Alya could have sworn she saw a small flash of red from the corner of her eye when the opened the trap door, but upon seeing the poor girl curled up in a ball on her floor, Alya dropped everything on the floor and ran to her besties side. “Mari?” Marinette looked up, then threw herself at her bff before bursting into another round of tears “Oh Mari” Alya held the girl tight. After she had been calmed down enough for about fifteen minutes, Alya finally asked “What do you mean, it was him the whole time?” Mari stiffened in her arms “Marinette?”  
“I-I…” she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t out him as Chat Noir, that would out herself as Ladybug, and… she already had too much to worry about, she was NOT about to put her best friend in potential danger for anything “I…” she sighed “I was in love with Adrien-”  
“Was?” Alya asked with a worried look “As in… not… anymore?... girl, why didn’t you tell me?”  
“I’m not finished. I was in love with Adrien, but then, I met this other guy… online. We hit it off, keeping our own identities secret, and, everything was coming along just fine, until…”  
“Until?”  
“U-until he contacted me personally. I don’t think he realized we were the same girl, but.. he ended up spilling that he was in love with… m-my other self, s-so… I told him how I felt about Adrien, then he told me that Adrien was in love with someone else…”  
“Sohewastheone…”  
“Yes.”  
“Wait… So it’s HIS FAULT you were nearly AKUMATIZED!?” Mari shrank in on herself. Alya took a deep breath “Okay, I’m calm. So… he told you Adrien was in love…”  
“w-with someone else… he uh, also let it slip that he went to m-my school… in fact, he’s the one I finally broke down to about it. He felt bad for making me miserable, and… tried to comfort me. I was finally getting better, then… FairyGodmother came, and… I was put to sleep, and… a-apparently… h-he was there…”  
“Wait a minute… you said you woke up after the akuma was cleansed. Are you telling me, that you…”  
“I lied” she smiled sheepishly “I… I-I woke up when he… h-he…”  
“He kissed you?” Alya’s eyes were wide… he didn’t… but Mari just nodded her head  
“H-he did, but… I wh-when I w-woke up, my eyes were still closed, his voice was the only sound I could hear… I thought it was Adrien, so… I-I k-kissed him… back” Alya’s jaw dropped dramatically as Marinette could feel her face heat up with embarrassment.   
“What?” she whispered  
“Iknow” Mari mumbled into her hands, trying to hide her tomato-red face “I know. I honestly thought it was Adrien, but when I opened my eyes… it wasn’t him. It was… he was in disguise”  
“Come again?”  
“H-he was in costume” Alya gasped  
“HE WAS PART OF THE PLAY?!” Mari nodded   
“H-he woke me to ask me about Ladybug”  
“Ladybug, huh?”  
“Then he up and left. Alya, he disappeared on me… for DAYS… DAYS Alya… you have no idea how WORRIED I was, he-”  
“Why were you so worried?” Mari paused for a moment  
“He… h-he had gotten a hold of the akuma, and… I-I didn’t know how long he had been holding it… I mean, I don’t know what actually HOLDING an akuma could do to someone… even if the hadn’t been the one Hawk Moth had chosen… the fact is, the moment he gave it to me, it was like… a dark cloud had been lifted from over his head”  
“Hmm, interesting”  
“So of COURSE I’d been worried about him, so… I-I went out looking for him…” Mari paused, looking bashful, waiting for Alya to yell at her, or demand just WHO this boy was. What she got however, was just Alya raising an eyebrow at her  
“So you went searching for him? Even though you didn’t know who he was?” Mari nodded as she bit her bottom lip  
“MmHmm. Then it started raining, and somehow, I ended up at Adrien’s. He let me in, and allowed me to use his bathroom to dry off. Then I… I heard him… he was at Adrien’s house, Alya. The WHOLE TIME he was at Adrien’s. We… w-we talked through the door, and… he… h-he told me that he’d been spending the whole time looking up everything he could on fairy tales and true loves kiss… apparently, he… h-he wanted to know why it worked for him. I told him that all Marinette really needed-”  
“Wait, all Marinette needed?” Mari’s eyes widened  
“U-uh” well, how was she going to get out of this one? “H-he didn’t know it was me!”  
“What?”  
“I-I w-was… in… costume?”  
“Why?”  
“I-I didn’t… I didn’t want anyone I knew to notice me, so, when I arrived, I don’t even think Adrien actually noticed it was me, at least… I assume he didn’t”  
“that’sbecausestupidsunshineiscompletelyoblivious” Alya mumbled  
“What?”  
“Nothing. So… he didn’t know it was you, okay, I can get that. Anyway… all Marinette needed?” Mari let out a small breath  
“I told him that all Marinette had needed to wake up was a kiss, that it didn’t matter who it was from, she still would have woken up. But then… he cut me off, stating that no. it DID matter, and that… th-that he hadn’t been the first to try and kiss… ‘her’” Alya was shocked. Well this was news to her. Had Adrien himself tried to kiss her and it hadn’t worked? That seriously didn’t make any sense to her, it should have worked either way, but… who else would have-  
“Who?”  
“Nathaniel”  
“WHAT!?” Alya jumped to her feet, completely flabbergasted. But when had he- then she remembered during the attack where, for about ten minutes, she couldn’t see the redhead anywhere… she had just assumed he had gone to the bathroom… she slumped back down to her best friend… she was going to skin that tomato  
“Apparently after you all went. And. Texted. Adrien” Mari elbowed her best friend at each word “he had texted himself, telling Adrien that his kiss had failed and that he, ADRIEN had to be the one to wake me” Mari pulled her knees to her chin “But… it… i-it wasn’t Adrien… it was HIM… he… he kissed me, and I woke up, so… he stayed away to try and figure out why. When he told me… I-I was so confused. Wh-what’s worst is… after I got home… he showed up. He asked me why I kissed him back, I-I t-told him that I thought he was Adrien. He smirked, and asked if… i-if this kiss, c-could be for him. Then… h-he kissed me… and I kissed him back.” Alya rubbed the bluenette’s back comfortly and a sympathetic smile shown on her face. After that, he kept coming back, over and over, professing his love to me… ME… Marinette. He would hold me. Kiss me. And yet… he kept telling me that I shouldn’t give up on Adrien. I was so confused I ended up going nearly an entire day without talking to nearly anyone, trying to figure out how I was even feeling. Oh, thanks by the way, for trying to cheer me up that day” Mari smiled sadly. Alya just hugged her from the side “To top it off, Adrien had confided in me that he had fallen in love with two girls and wasn’t sure how to go about it… Red Pepper and Sweet Vanilla he called them… and… I was trying to help him figure it out, even IF it was killing me inside… but then HE came into the picture, and suddenly the roles were reversed and I was asking Adrien about his choice to try and figure out my OWN choice. When I finally made my choice… I was going to tell him, but then, ADRIEN goes and invites me to THE Royal Ball” Alya’s eyes widen at the new information… HOW COME SHE HASN’T HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE?! “I was going to turn Adrien down, but then, HE tells me that I should go, have fun, and that it wouldn’t HAVE to be a date, just me being Adrien’s plus one… next thing I know, I’m getting called at FIVE. IN. THE. MORNING. telling me that Nathalie was on her way to pick me up to help me get ready. By the way, the Agreste building is SSOOOOOOO spectacular! Then we’re at the ball right? And… honestly, I was having fun, but… I-I couldn’t help myself from w-wishing that, Adrien… was, him…”  
“Oh Mari”  
“So when it came to the last dance… I imagined that he WAS him, and… I-I kissed him” Alya’s jaw dropped  
“You kissed Adrien?” she whispered. Marinette nodded before hiding her face in her knees “Oh Mari”  
“I know” she stated without lifting her head “I only noticed what I had done after I opened my eyes. Alya I felt so sick to my stomach that I ran away.”  
“You ran away?”  
“Yeah. Eventually, HE found me, and… I-I broke down and admitted to kissing someone else thinking it was him, then, he said it was okay. W-we danced, and, I finally told him how I felt. W-we kissed. Then… he escorted me home.” Mari sighed remembering the night before, then her slight smile fell “So tonight, when I was Snow White… I heard HIS voice. I thought it was HIM. So when… wh-when he REALLY kissed me, I was QUICK to reply. Then Chloe screeched and I saw that it was ADRIEN. I ran away again, thinking that I had betrayed HIM again. Within that hour, HE reached out to my o-other self, saying that he ‘had to find her’ so he could tell her, and I quote… I have to make her understand that she’s only ever kissed one guy.” Alya’s face paled  
“So that’s how you found out?”  
“He used me Alya… he… h-he used me to get to … t-to get to… HER” Mari stated as she was starting to cry again  
“Oh girl” Alya rushed to hug the smaller girl “Are you sure?”  
“H-he loved her first. He… h-he t-told me that he loved her, then he just, what? Falls for ME? Marinette?” she sniffs “I-I t-told him that… I-I n-never w-w-want to see h-him again. Then he, h-he sh-showed up here… I… I-I… s-slapped him” Alya scowled  
“Well, if what you are saying is true, and he really WAS using you, then fine by me. Agreste deserved it. Heck, he had it coming”  
“A-Alya, it was him. I-it w-was him the wh-whole time” Marinette buried her face into the redheads chest “It hurts Alya… it hurts so much!”  
“Shhh. It’s okay Mar. I’m here. Just let it all out” the poor girl ended up crying herself to sleep in her best friend’s arms. Alya waited until she was absolutely sure her friend was asleep before she snuck out from under her to use the restroom

Alya- Cat’s out of the bag  
Nino- WHT?!  
Alya- He broke her heart Nino… you better find out his side of the story, and it better be good… Mama Bear Alya does NOT like it when her cubs get hurt >:(   
Nino- Wht happnd?  
Alya- I’ll explain l8ter.  
Alya- Oh, btw, were u aware that not ONLY ws r boy the 1 to WAKE Mari during FairyGodmother, but that he wsn’t the FIRST to try?  
Nino- … WHT?!!! Wait, who?  
Alya- Nath  
Nino- WHAT?! Tht tomato has sum splainin to do  
Alya- 2morrow. About to go back to bed. Ttyl  
Nino- Fine. Gnight love <3

Alya smiled at the last text. How had she gotten so lucky to find such a caring boyfriend? Alya finished washing her hands before heading back to bed. Grabbing the waiting plate of chocolate chip cookies from the counter before heading back up. Once in the room, Alya went and sat the whole plate of cookies over by the little dollhouse before going back over to snuggle with her best friend again. Tonight, she would sleep. But tomorrow… scratch her warning to Nino, Alya was nipping this in the butt first thing, even IF it meant waiting for HIM to show up on her balcony again… it was only a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised... Gabriel Agreste singing Mother (Father) Knows Best Reprise everyone!!  
> Okay, so, now that THAT's out of the way... show of hands... who hates Gabriel Agreste now?
> 
> lol, no, I don't really hate him, but in this fic... idky, it just happened, okay? I wanted him to sing the song, and it required a jerkish vibe from the guy, okay?
> 
> Aside from that... what'd you guys think? Yay? Nay? Idk? lol ;) let me know your thought down in the comments =^_^=  
> Luv yall  
> <3


	26. Apoligize

Mari was still asleep when Alya woke up the next day. Alya smiled sympathetically down at her closest and dearest friend before getting off the bed, grabbing the now empty plate and heading downstairs. After a brief explanation about how they needed to restock the cookie supply before the smaller girl woke up, and a promise to be back as soon as possible, she headed out, set trail on making her way to finding a certain blond with green eyes. She didn’t have to search long, as she eventually saw him jumping towards the way she had just come. “HEY TOMCAT!” she shouted. Not at all surprised when he the pole landed right in front of her, followed shortly by the male half of the hero duo. “You. Me. Rooftops. NOW. We need to talk”  
“Can it wait? I was kinda on my way to-”  
“This concerns Mari Alley Cat” Chat looked spooked at that… how did she know? “So are we going up or did you want to discuss this in public, where anyone could hear it?” she folded her arms across her chest. Chat knew that face… that was the face of If-you-value-your-life-you’ll-listen-to-me. He sighed  
“Fine. Hold on tight.” Then he lifted them both up to the rooftop of one of the many abandoned buildings of Paris, before sitting her down and stepping back, unsure just what he was about to hear.  
“JUST WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING, AGRESTE?!” okay… that was unexpected. Chat’s eyes grew wide at the realization that… she knew who he was? Wait… why didn’t she have her camera out? And WHY was she yelling at him NOW of all times?   
“I-I-uh”  
“DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY HURT HER?! THAT THIS SICK LITTLE JOKE OF YOURS COULD TEAR HER APART?! JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! HUH?! YOU ALREADY REJECTED HER, YOU SAW HOW SCARY THAT WAS FOR EVERYONE… MARI. DOES. NOT. EVER. NEED TO BE THAT UPSET AGAIN… GOT IT?!”  
“Uhh”  
“THEN YOU GO AND PUT ON A LEATHER SUIT AND… WHAT? THOUGHT YOU COULD JUST PLAY WITH HER HEART MORE? MAKE HER FALL IN LOVE WITH… ‘THE RERAL YOU’?!” she mocked  
“Huh?”  
“WELL NEWS FLASH… SHE DID! HENCE, OUR SECOND WORRY SPOUT FOR HER… OR DON’T YOU REMEMBER EVEN CHLOE BEING NICE TO HER?!”  
“No, I remember, but-” he didn’t get to finish  
“BUT NOTHING AGRESTE!” She took a deep breath to calm herself down “Look. I don’t know all the details of everything that’s happened between you two, since she hasn’t even admitted to me that YOU’RE you. That whole ‘secret identities’ thing… but I can tell you that I figured the majority of it out… I know you’re the one who woke her, since no one else would work, and you can’t purify akumas without Ladybug… why do you think I was so admit about getting you back to the school in the first place? So when I saw Ladybug, I KNEW that you were there. I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure THAT part out. My question is… it was Mari…why did you do it? Did you already know? Was it some sort of test? And WHY the HECK did you avoid her afterwards?” she paused, waiting for an answer, so finally seeing an opening, he took it  
“To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if it would work. I-I mean… its Mari. I mean, sure… we’d been getting closer as friends for a while… mostly as Marinette and Chat, and, okay, yes… I HAD started to notice her in a… m-more than friendly way… around a month before FariyGodmother even happened. To be honest, I only intended to kiss her to ask her about Ladybug, but… the moment our lips touched, it was like… I felt complete, like I had found my missing piece… and when she kissed me back… it was like Heaven on Earth. Honestly, I didn’t want to stop, but… we had to breath eventually… right?”  
“… Why did you ignore her?”  
“I didn’t mean to, honest. I just… had to know why my kiss worked, why I felt the way I did, why Nath’s kiss DIDN’T work, so… I spent the next week researching as much as I could”  
“I knew something was up when you kept looking though all those fairy tales” Alya smirked  
“Yeah. But it helped, and… I was able to recognize that I was in love with her.”   
“You told her?”  
“Yes”  
“And…?”  
“She tried to reject Chat, er, me. *sigh* she was honest with me about what she loved in Adrien, so… I obliged and told her what I loved about her, and… th-then we kissed again.”  
“What about Ladybug?”  
“I tried telling her, but then… she started bad talking Mari, and like… aren’t they supposed to be friends?”  
“Friends?” Alya’s eyes widened as all the pieces began to come together. Of COURSE Ladybug would talk bad about Mari, she has, like, ZERO self-confidence in herself whenever it comes to her crushes, but… Why would he say they were “friends”, unless… Alya’s eyes widened… what?  
Chat, however, was feeling like an idiot… NO ONE was supposed to know that the two knew eachother… ESPECIALLY not Alya… she may be Mari’s bff, but she was also runner of the Ladyblog “W-wait, Alya, I can explain-”  
“Youdon’tknow…doyou?” she mumbled, staring straight at him. Well, that took Chat off guard  
“What?”  
“You seriously haven’t figured it out? SERIOUSLY?! She thinks you figured it out dumb cat! SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!”  
“Alya, WHAT are you talking about?” Chat caught her by the shoulders, eyes begging for an explanation. Alya blinked up at the dumb, stupid, oblivious, leather wearing blond standing in front of her. He seriously didn’t know, but SHE wasn’t about to be the one to tell him… this was Mari’s secret. Not hers to tell. But she HAD to say SOMETHING… hmm… maybe she could give him a clue… like… AHA!  
“Chat Noir, how would you feel if the girl of your dreams rejected you as a civilian, then your best friend confesses to you as a hero, and suddenly, you find out they’re one in the same?”  
“What?”  
“What if she found out that Chat Noir was Adrien, but after getting rejected by Adrien, she went after Chat?”  
“That…”  
“What if it were Ladybug?”  
“What?”  
“What if you as a civilian confessed to civilian Ladybug, but she denied you because she was in love with you as Chat, but didn’t know you were both the same? Now what if she somehow found out, and suddenly she, as Ladybug, confessed to civilian you? Now what if YOU found out that both girls you had fallen for were the same… but they had known who you were the entire time?” all these questions were making Chat’s head hurt  
“Wait a minute… are you saying… that…”  
“I’m not saying anything, but… Mari has a secret, and… she thinks you figured it out, or, have HAD it figured out” …  
“shefeelsbetrayed” Chat’s eyes grew wide with understanding “But… why? I told her about how I felt for her, and I meant every word. I mean, how could I EVER hurt or betray her? I mean, it’s not as if she’s-”  
“Adrien…”  
“I… I love her, Alya.” Alya sighed as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder  
“I know, and… she loves you too. I honestly don’t think she’s ever stopped, just… shifted, in a way. Just… give her time, Chat. Let her come to terms with the fact that you are one in the same, but honestly, until you actually figure out her secret on your own, and can understand why she’s feeling like this… let her come to you… okay? I’ll…” Alya sighed again “I’ll see what I can do on my end, just… be patient with her… okay?” Alya then headed back towards the old fire escape as she made her way back down to the street below, quickly calling Nino as she made her way back to the bakery.  
“I will” Chat stated to himself as he stared after where his best bud’s girl disappeared.

\---

Alya had only been back at the Dupain-Cheng’s house for about thirty-five minutes (using the time to try and convince Mari that perhaps the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, that maybe he really WASN’T trying to use her, not that it really helped) before she got a call from her mother telling her that she needed to come home to watch her sisters as they had a family emergency to attend to ASAP. With that, Alya (begrudgingly) bid her goodbyes and headed back towards her family home.

Chat watched Alya's quick exit from the roof across the street. He had been sitting there, waiting, debating in his mind how he could possibly make this right. He waited a few more moments before using his baton to cross the barrier, landing softly on the bakery balcony. He paced back and forth, trying to find the words, then he walked over to the sky light, but just before he knocked, he quickly pulled his hand back, mumbling his argument to himself for WHY what he was going to say wouldn’t work, as he began pacing again. This quickly became a pattern, until finally he tripped over his own tail and fell (quite ungracefully), face first into the waiting lawn chair, where he deemed suitable to stay for the rest of his life as he could never again face the world knowing he hurt the one he loves (completely unaware of the potted plant that fell at his trip).

\---

It had been hours since Alya left, but Mari was still moping. Tikki tried to cheer her up, reinforcing Alya’s idea that… maybe Chat really DID fall for her, that maybe he wasn’t using her like she thought and that maybe, just maybe… she should talk with him…  
“No Tikki. I-I’m sorry, but… I-I don’t k-know if I can even-” they were interrupted at the sound of something porcelain breaking above her head. “What was that?”  
“Maybe another pigeon knocked over another plant… I’ll go check it out” Tikki flew up to the window before phasing through into the crisp night air. What she saw however was most certainly NOT what she was expecting… Chat Noir was lying face first in the lawn chair, a broken pot on the ground beside the chair… Tikki gasped before phasing back through at light speed. “I think something knocked over the catnip”. Mari frowned, she didn’t have any catnip… curious, Marinette stood on her bed, propping her window open as she peered through… straight into the eyes of her crime-fighting partner…  
“WHAT THE KAWAMII ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

\---

Chat heard the small gasp, immediately sitting up, hoping to see his Princess… surprised to see… no one there. Defeated, Chat turned to sit on the chair, face buried in his hands. His ears flicked up as he heard the window creak open, both pair of surprised eyes meeting  
“WHAT THE KAWAMII ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Chat flailed as he fell flat on his face from the chair, surprised at her sudden outburst. He picked his head up just enough to see the tears start to gather in her eyes again as she began to quickly close the window again. Desperate not to lose this chance, Chat jumped to his feet and raced to the now closed and locked sky light. he knocked and knocked, but she never opened. Yet again defeated, he sat down next to the dark window, pulling his knees to his chest as he could hear her crying… he hated that sound… and he hated more that HE had caused it  
“Princess… Princess please… I’m… I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to see me right now, and… I-I know you may not want to talk, just… listen, okay? I’m sorry. Even if I’m honestly not sure how, I hurt you, and that kills me. Mari please, I… I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I never intended to lie to you. Heck, I didn’t even intend to fall for you… but I ‘m glad I did” Adrien took a deep breath as he switched his position to sitting cross-legged, taking notice that her tears seem to have stopped “Mari, loving you… it’s been an adventure. One that I wasn’t actually expecting, but one I would take over and over again if given the chance. I got to know you Mari. I got to know my friend, and just how… amazing she is. All this time, I thought my heart could only belong to Ladybug. And while, yes, she was my first love, she’s never… she’s never given me the chance like you have. I’ve never broken down to her like I have with you. Honestly Mari… as strong as I felt for Ladybug… it can’t even hold a candle for how I feel about you.” He could hear the bed shift as she seemed to get closer to the window… she was actually listening?... “A-and… Gosh Mari, do you know how hard it was… watching you every day in class, yet NOT being able to wrap you up in a hug and kiss you good morning… or when you pout… or when you giggle… o-or smile… I wanted to tell you… I wanted to tell you who I was, but… it was too dangerous… heck, it's STILL to dangerous… I swear Mari, if something were to ever happen to you because of me… I'm not sure I could ever forgive myself. Heck, maybe if I would have given you a chance as civilian me… honestly, the biggest regret I could ever have is… is rejecting you. If I could go back, and… tell myself just how great you really are… maybe we both could have been happy. but no matter what… I want you to know, no… I NEED you to know… I don't regret a single moment with you, nor could I ever and if I had the choice, I'd choose you all over again. Princess… Marinette… I love you. And it has nothing to do with your friendship with Ladybug, so… please, just…. M-Mari, please I-” Chat was cut off at the sound of a high pitched, terrified scream coming from somewhere among the Parisian night ‘Great. Just great… nice timing Hawkmoth’ Chat gritted his teeth “Princess, I’m sorry, we’re gonna have to pick this back up later. Sounds like there’s an akuma on the loose.” He placed a gloved hand gently on the glass of the window “Please stay here Princess, where you’re safe. Leave this to me and Ladybug. I honestly don’t know if I could handle you getting hurt. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise… I love you” Chat waited a couple minutes more to see if she’d emerge (she didn’t) before he took to the roofs, off to meet his heroine partner in a fight against the latest villain/victim.

\---

Marinette waited an additional two minutes after he left before she opened her window and stepped foot onto her balcony floor, Tikki floating beside her as they walked together towards the railing looking out over all of Paris. She could hear the sirens and the screams, but to be honest… she had never felt less like herself and yet more like herself at the same time, in all her life. The confusion was getting to her, as was the confliction… she had checked the Ladyblog before leaving her room… apparently, this one wasn’t so destructive as it was an annoyance and a pain… which helped ease her conscious for not jumping into suit the moment Chat said the word ‘Akuma’. She was stuck. On the one hand, Chat had told, not asked, TOLD her NOT to leave and to leave it to him and Ladybug, but… SHE was Ladybug… he knew that though… right? But then, why did he refer to Ladybug as if she were a different person during his apology? “UGH!!! Tikki…” Mari rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands as she tried to force the confusion away. Tikki floated up, placing a comforting hand on her chosen’s cheek  
“It’s okay Marinette”  
“I just… I’m- I’m so confused… I know I should go and help, I just… is it wrong that I don’t want to?... of course it is, what am I saying? Reports are saying this one’s not exactly dangerous, just an annoyance over all… maybe… he could take it down himself? But I’m the only one who can purify the akuma… Maybe he could capture the akuma and bring it to me? But then, during his apology, it almost sounded like he actually DIDN’T know who I am… or, who Ladybug is? Or… I don’t know… what should I do? Tikki?” Tikki watched as her chosen dropped her head onto her folded arms on her balcony railing. A small, sweet, comforting smile forming on her little face as she rounded to face in front of the younger girl (by over a thousand years), as she gently nudged her to lift her head  
“Oh Marinette… I know a girl here in Paris, she stands apart from the crowd. She loves her friends and her family, she makes her whole city proud. Sometimes life seems up against you, the journey may leave a scar, but scars can heal and reveal just, where you are. The people you love will change you, and things you may learn will guide you, but not even Hawkmoth can silence, the knowing voice, there inside you. And when the voice starts to whisper, Oh Mari, you’ve come so far. Marinette, tell me, do you know who you are?” Mari blinked at her little friend bewildered  
“Who am I? I am the girl who loves my people. I am the girl who loves Paris… they call me.” She stood to her full height, looking out towards the city she loves “I’m a daughter, heroine and friend, cause I put others before me, even now I hear their cry, they call me.” She stood strong and proud, looking ready to take on the world as she relived the truth “I’ve fought akuma off both day and night, while I kept up my studies, and my dear partner in fighting crime, he still calls me… and I feel the call deep in my heart, it’s inside me. It’s in the wind of my yo-yo flying. Thank you Tikki, for staying, by my side as you remind me, that come what may, I know the way… I AM LADYBUG!!! TIKKI! SPOTS ON!” with her transformation complete, she pulled out her yo-yo and rushed to take down the latest of villains…

(if only she would have taken one more look at the Ladyblog and seen the Akuma’s Name, she may have been more careful, perhaps less obvious with her arrival, and maybe… she wouldn’t have gotten hit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> INTRODUCING... THE LATEST OF THE DISNEY PRINCESSES... MOANA!!!  
> lol, I've actually been WAITING to use this song since I first heard it (as well as trying to figure out how to parody it.. the version you see here I actually just came up with on a whim) ;)
> 
> So... CLIFFHANGER!!! Anyone wanna guess what's gonna happen next? What is the Akuma's powers? What is their name? (HINT: it's the title of a short story you probably read in High School) Is the Akuma REALLY not dangerous as they say, or were they holding back for our heroes? Will Chat FINALLY stop being so oblivious? and finally WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE GIVE PLAGG SOME CHEESE SO HE WILL SHUT UP!? (obvious answer to the last one) lol ;)
> 
> LET THE COMMENTS COMMENCE!!!  
> till next time ;) :D =^_^=


	27. Tell-Tale Heart

Ladybug swung through the Parisian night, following the overly dramatic sounds of a fight as she tried to stay focused on the task at hand. She rounded a corner and was able to spot her feral looking partner hiding behind a parked car as the Akuma was trying to shoot him with the ray beam coming from the bulb-less flashlight. Ladybug landed on the patio just above where their fight was being held and climbed up onto the railing “HEY! Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s not nice to torment animals?”  
“Ladybug?” Chat looked shocked as he stared up at her. Why was she drawing attention to herself? Didn’t she realize how CRUCIAL this Akuma WAS? “LADYBUG, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”  
“Just who do you think you are, anyway?” she ignored her panicking partner as she drew the attention of their opponent. To be honest, he looked kinda… mad. Not like, ANGRY mad, but more like… insane. Especially since he seemed to be wearing a broken straight jacket, shackled feet, wild hair, and was holding a broken flashlight, but the worst part about this… the Akuma… he couldn’t have been more than eight years old. What could have POSSIBLY happened for a child’s to not only become Akumatized, but to appear in such a state. The Akuma smirked.  
“Ah, Ladybug, we meet at last. Allow me to introduce myself… I am Tell-Tale Heart, and now, if you’d be ever so kind as to hand over your Miraculous, perhaps then I might consider letting you by unharmed. However, should you refuse-”  
“Geeze Kid, just how old are you? You’re talking like an old grandfather or something” Ladybug interrupted  
“LADYBUG! GET OVER HERE, NOW!” Chat shouted from his spot behind the car. Tell-Tale Hearts smirk fell to a scowl  
“You really should listen to your friend, Miss Ladybug” the Akuma raised his broken flashlight “It doesn’t really matter my young age, nor how I speak, nor how I came to gain my powers… these things mean nothing compared to the guilt you’re about to feel. Now, how about you start confessing that little secret you’ve been hiding? Huh?”   
“LADYBUG!” Chat jumped to push her out of the way, but he was a second too late. Ladybug SCREAMED as she was hit by the beam before Chat tackled her to the ground. “Ladybug? Ladybug common, wake up” Ladybug groaned as she reached to grab her head, starting to wake up. “Ladybug! Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, Yeah I’m fine” she heard a heartbeat. She ignored it as she began to rise to her feet  
“Are you sure? You got hit. You’ve never gotten hit before, right?”  
“N-No… no, I haven’t” Was he seriously STILL playing that he doesn’t actually know? FINE! Two can play at that game. She heard another heartbeat. “I’m fine Chat, really. It’s weird, I don’t feel any different at all, like, the ray didn’t even do anything”  
“A-are you sure?”  
“Yes. I’m fine Chat, now common! Even if his ray doesn’t do anything, we have to fight this Akuma!” at that she jumped into action, Chat following quickly behind her. The battle went on for what felt like hours. All the while, she kept glancing back at her partner. Look at him, acting like he doesn’t know or something, like he DOESN’T know that SHE is Marinette. HOW can he be so… so CALM about this, huh? Of course, there’s the chance that he actually DOESN’T know, but… then WHY would he keep coming to her as Marinette?! Ladybug… he loved LADYBUG first… ADRIEN loved LADYBUG first… no, he HAS to know, nothing else make sense. I mean, he would CONSTANTLY visit her out of NOWHERE, THEN he sang that STUPID SONG to her, KNOWING it was her FAVORITE, THEN he KISSED Marinette because LADYBUG was a no-show, THEN he went and DISAPPEARED like some STUPID introverted CAT, THEN he KISSED her AGAIN… AND Again… and again… he supposed helped her determine what she was feeling, he compared her two sides to foods, he was the one to break through to her… he understood her… he understood her, where she was coming from BECAUSE HE KNEW! WHY ELSE would he have pursued her? Taken her to a dance? Chased after her? Danced with her AGAIN, and… a-and, she had… sh-she had told him… sh-she loved him… SHE had kissed HIM! NONE-THE-WISER! SHE HAD BLATANTLY KISSED CHAT NOIR… SHE KISSED ADRIEN AGRESTE! AND HE KNEW?! HE… heusedher… HE USED HER! H-HE USED HER CIVILIAN SELF TO GET TO THE HERO! HIS SUPPOSED… FIRST LOVE?! Her breathing began to pick up pace as the steady heart beat began to grow louder and louder, picking up pace JUST as much of that of her breathing… the sweat began covering her face, almost like a mist from the rain. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she began pulling at the collar of her super suite… has it always been this hot this late at night? She jumped to continue the fight, yet kept finding herself staring, no, GLARING at her feline partner, but in doing so… she became distracted, lost in her own thoughts, and not to mention, sloppy in her fight. Suddenly she found herself flying backwards into the chest of her partner… when had she been thrown?  
“Ladybug! Are you okay?!” he asked as if she hadn’t just hit him at some unreasonable rate of speed. Ladybug merely glanced up at him and sneered before rising to her feet to run back into battle. Chat grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to a stop “Ladybug, what is WRONG with YOU?!”  
“Whatever do you mean, Stray?”  
“You know exactly what I mean. Don’t think I haven’t notice how you keep staring, no, more like GLARING at me every chance you get! And since WHEN do YOU CALL ME STRAY?!” Ladybug looked around, noticing the Akuma seemed to have disappeared again before she rounded back on her partner, fury seeming to grow by the minute  
“AND SINCE WHEN DO YOU CALL ME LADYBUG!?” she poked his chest. Chat looked taken aback  
“Wha- I’ve ALWAYS called you-“  
“DON’T YOU GIVE ME THAT LINE, CHAT NOIR! YOU NEVER CALLED MY LADYBUG! IT WAS ALWAYS… My Lady, or Bugaboo, or LB… BUT NOW?! LADYBUG? THAT’S IT?! I THOUGHT YOU SUPPOSEDLY LOVED ME!” Chat looked around, noticing the crowd that was beginning to form  
“Geeze, we are NOT having this talk HERE!” he quickly grabbed her by the hip and delivered them both up to an abandoned roof.  
“I’M NOT THROUGH WITH Y-”  
“Shh!” Chat quickly checked the roof, as well as however far he could see of the Paris night life… he still couldn’t see where the blasted Akuma went… DANG IT! Chat made his way back over to the seething Heroine of Paris “Okay then… looks like we’re alone, and Tell-Tale seems to have disappeared… now, what seems to be the prob-” *SMACK* Chat’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped as his gloved hand raised to meet his sore cheek “you.. WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!”  
“YOU DESERVED IT YOU MANGY STRAY!”  
“STOP CALLING ME A STRAY!”  
“THEN STOP CALLING ME LADYBUG!”  
“SINCE WHEN DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT I CALL YOU LADYBUG?!”  
“SINCE WHEN DOES MARINETTE GET A NICKNAME AND LADYBUG DOES NOT?!”  
“what?”  
“YOU CALL MARINETTE ‘Princess’ DON’T YOU?! WHY?! WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THAT CLUMSY, STUPID, LITTLE-”  
“DON’T YOU DARE TALK THAT WAY ABOUT HER! I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK, OR WHAT YOU SAY, I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOU BADMOUTHING THE WOMAN I LOVE! GOSH, SINCE WHEN ARE YOU SO JEALOUS?!” she stared at him  
“jealous?” she began to laugh “JEALOUS?!” the heartbeat was so loud she couldn’t hear herself think, she COULD, however hear the scream of another victim of the latest Akuma. She jumped to attention, instantly yo-yoing herself away  
“LADYBUG!” he called after her, CLEARLY losing his patience as he ran to catch up with her. They landed before the Akuma, but Chat quickly move to stand in her way, arms folded across his chest “Ladybug. Answers, Now!”  
“Chat, get out of the way” she stated in a low tone before she sidestepped him and began her fight with the Akuma again  
“Ugh!” Chat growled before joining the fight. They fought for half an hour, and all the while, Ladybug could hear the heart getting louder and louder, faster and faster, until FINALLY, she couldn’t take it… she snapped  
“WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!”  
“WHAT?!” Chat asked, dodging another attack  
“YOU STUPID CAT, HOW LONG DID YOU THINK YOU COULD KEEP IT UP, HUH?! DID YOU THINK I WOULDN’T FIGURE IT OUT?! DID YOU THINK YOU COULD KNOW AND NOT HAVE ME FIGURE IT OUT?!”  
“LADYBUG WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!”  
“YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE EVEN REMOTELY JEALOUS OF… THAT GIRL!”  
“WELL EXCUSE ME, BUT IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE JEALOUSY TO ME!”  
“I’M NOT JEALOUS, I’M FURIOUS!”  
“ABOUT WHAT?!”  
“I’M FURIOUS AT THE BOY WHO NOT ONLY PLAYED WITH MY HEART, BUT USED ME TO GET TO MY MASK, AND BROKE MY HEART!”  
“THEN TAKE IT OUT ON HIM, NOT ME!”  
“I AM TAKING IT OUT ON HIM!” Chat paused in his attack  
“What?” what is she TALKING about?  
“YOU STUPID CAT! STOP PRETENDING YOU DON’T KNOW! IT’S REALLY STARTING TO URK ME OFF!”  
“I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!” He jumped back into the fight. She laughed  
“BOY, THAT’S RICH! YOU BROKE MY HEART, CHAT NOIR! YOU STINKIN BROKE MY HEART!” she jumped to avoid an attack “YOU WERE MY FIRST CRUSH, MY FIRST KISS, MY FIRST LOVE, MY FIRST DANCE… YOU WERE MY FIRST! THE FIRST GUY I EVER WANTED TO WAKE UP NEXT TO! THE ONE I COULD PICTURE MY FUTURE FAMILY WITH! CHAT WHEN YOU STARTED COMING OVER, MY DAYS BEGAN TO BRIGHTEN UP, THEN YOU WENT AND DISAPPEARED ON ME BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID KISS! THEN YOU SHOWED UP AND KISSED ME… AND KISSED ME… AND KISSED ME… AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN… YOU MADE ME SO CONFUSED I COULDN’T THINK STRAIGHT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS I’VE HAD BECAUSE OF YOU AND THOSE STUPID KISSABLE LIPS?! STOP PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS!” she screamed.  
Something was wrong. Ladybug would never admit to any of that, especially not in public like this  
‘ “-It doesn’t really matter my young age, nor how I speak, nor how I came to gain my powers… these things mean nothing compared to the guilt you’re about to feel. Now, how about you start confessing that little secret you’ve been hiding?” ’  
Chat’s eyes widened at the realization… Tell-Tale Heart… he KNEW that name sounded familiar, it was the title of a book he read back in Jr. High about a mad man whose guilt for murdering his friend was SO BAD and his own heartbeat was SO loud, that he cracked and ended up- Oh no… No… No! he can’t let her do that! “LADYBUG SNAP OUT OF IT!”  
“SNAP OUT OF IT?!” she threw back hotly, but Chat was not going to give up so easily… he had to STOP her before she confessed to something she would later regret “WHY THE HECK DO I NEED TO SNAP OUT OF IT, HUH?! THAT PHRASE DOESN’T EVEN APPLY TO ME!” Chat quickly jumped in front of her and grabbed her by her arms firmly  
“LADYBUG LISTEN TO ME! YOU WERE HIT BY THE AKUMA! YOU HAVE TO STOP TALKING! IF YOU DON’T, YOU COULD TELL THE WHOLE WORLD WHO YOU ARE!”  
“WHY SHOULD THAT MATTER TO YOU?! IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S MY FIRST TIME BEING HIT! BESIDES, YOU ALREADY KNOW! WHAT’S THERE TO HIDE ANYMORE?!”  
“I SWEAR I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!” Chat took a deep breath “Look, call Lucky Charm, alright? We can finish this later. But AS SOON as it drops in your hands, I don’t care HOW hard it becomes to hold it in, I don’t want you to say a SINGLE WORD MORE, GOT IT?!”  
“Geeze, fine! LUCKY CHARM!” Ladybug threw her yo-yo up into the air, to have a ladybug print blown-up swimming ring fall from the sky. True to her word, she didn’t say another word more, which proved to be more taxing than before on the poor girl. Meanwhile, Chat was mentally going over everything she had said in her little rampage… he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was telling him something, but… what? Before he knows it, the swimming ring lands on Tell-Tale, trapping both arms to his side as struggles against his new restraint and drops his broken flashlight. Chat quickly scoops it up, pitching it to his miserable looking partner, who catches it and slams it to the ground, releasing the little black butterfly before setting things right again. Suddenly the pounding heartbeat in her ears has stopped. Overwhelmed by the sudden silence, as well as the exhaustion from her constant tears, fighting, overheating and stressing, she begins to lose consciousness. However, before she can hit the ground, Chat catches her in his embrace, scooping her off her feet. He looks down to his partner when he hears her earrings go off, then he looks back to the young confused boy that looked about ready to cry… what was he supposed to do? Sit Ladybug down, talk to the boy, and hope her transformation doesn’t break before she wakes up? Or take her somewhere safe, then come back and hope he’s not charged with child-neglect? Her earrings beeped again. Chat began looking around for ANYONE who could help. Suddenly, she saw bouncing red curls running his way  
“ALYA!”  
“CHAT NOIR!” she ran up to him, noticing the heroine in his arms, she gasped “Oh my gosh, Is she-”  
“Just asleep, don’t worry. Look, I need your help.” Another beep  
“What do you need?” Alya asked, switching gears to Mamma Alya  
“The victim. He’s too young to be left alone, but I need to get her somewhere safe. Think you can help?”  
“Leave the rugrat to me” she saluted before sobering up a bit “Look, I’m just gonna say it. I saw the whole thing, and… heard every word” his face paled “Don’t worry, I won’t post it” she rushed out, shaking her hands in front of him “I could never hurt my best friends like that… look, just… just, TRY to keep an open mind about this, okay? I know she wouldn’t have wanted you to know like this, but… according to her, you already knew, which… we BOTH know you don’t. Just… if you figure it out before she actually tells you… try not to be too hard on her, okay? I’ll take care of the kid, but if you need to talk later, both me and or Nino are available ANY time… alright?”  
“Uh… A-alright” another beep “Thanks Alya. See ya” then he was jumping to the roofs… so she WAS trying to tell him something? The way she was talking… it seemed like things Marinette would say, but… this was Ladybug… Marinette was at home, safe in her bed, probably crying herself to sleep now that he thought about it… he should probably go check on her… Keep an open mind? He was her first kiss? Her first LOVE?! What did she MEAN when he first started to visit? Her first dance? No, he’d never danced with Ladybug before… right? No. it was Marinette. Marinette is the one he danced with all those times. Marinette is the one he sang to, Marinette was the one he took to the ball. Marinette was the one he kissed again and again… no… there was NO WAY the two could be related, let alone the same person… right? No… there’s literally NO WAY that could be even remotely possible. I mean, wouldn’t you think he’d recognize his long-time partner/first crush even WITHOUT the mask? I mean, common, he KNEW her better than THAT… BOTH of them. I mean- the final beep went off, and Chat eyes widened as he took in first the Chat Noir slippers, then the pink floral pajama bottoms, then the familiar coral “I Love PAris” (where the A was the Eiffel Tower) top and finally, the reveal of the beautiful sleeping face that had been haunting his dreams for months now… he froze in place as suddenly as his excuses and resolves seemed to shatter and fall away, leaving him dumbfounded as he gazed at the girl in his arms… “Marinette?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovelies!!!! 
> 
> So, what'd ya think? I know it's kinda short, but it's the moment you've ALL been waiting for... he knows now. the question is... what's going to happen now?  
> INPUT!  
> Tell me how YOU think he's going to react and why... will he be happy? sad? confused? angry? fed-up? ecstatic?   
> No. No song this time, but then, this chapter was kinda too serious for a song scene. And JUST because it's a Musical AU, doesn't mean there has to be a song ever chapter... however, I would like to add another sometime in the future, so go ahead and tell me your FAVORITE Disney Movie song and I'll see if I can add it in.   
> FINALLY... I'd had it planned out for a while that Mari would end up confessing during an attack, it just so happened that I was able to remember Tell-Tale Heart from my high school days, and... surprisingly it turned out better than I thought it would. I have an idea how I would do it, but tell me if you want the poor kids story for how he became Akumatized in the first place.
> 
> As always, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for ALL your love and support!  
> Remember to like, share, follow, and comment, Comment, COMMENT! =^_^=
> 
> P.S. thought I should let you all know, but since I'm an adult with adult bills, and adult obligations, and adult responsibilities, I recently picked up a second job, so I may not be able to update as often as normal (which, really is only like 1-2x a month, so...) So, yeah... please note, that this store is SO not done yet, and I DO plan to continue it, I just ask that you please be patient with me seeing as I'll now be available for work 14 hours a day. Again, I thank you for your love, patience, and support  
> <3


	28. Chapter 28

Marinette groaned as she stretched her sleep away before rushing her hand to her head. She hissed in pain at the migraine that decided to make itself known. She groaned and moaned as she sat up, causing the covers to fall to her lap, and tried to open her eyes “T-Tikki?” she blinked away the sleep in her eyes as her focus came back into view, and that’s when she noticed it…. The bed was too large. The walls were white. The only light seemed to be coming from the full moon which shone through the over-sized windows… she wasn’t in her room. Instantly she began looking around the dark room, making out the outline of a duel monitor computer, a skating ramp, a gaming system, and… a figure… mumbling to himself as he paced back and forth, his eyes were on the ground as his hands waved around in his private discussion, before running through his hair in exasperation, and then using them as his expressions again. It was dark. And it was late. And honestly, Marinette couldn’t, for the life of her, remember either what happened or why or HOW she’d gotten there. Suddenly the blond stopped in is tracks, spinning on his heels to face her eye to eye. His face was expressionless, and honestly, it made her feel a little worried that she couldn’t tell what he was feeling at the moment. She swallowed “A-Adrien?” he clenched his teeth as his eyes and fists both squeezed shut tight  
“Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“W-what?”  
“Why didn’t you tell me, the moment you realized who I was. You should have told me Marinette. You should have told me the Truth” his voice was barely above a whisper, but it still sounded like a shout to her heart “Why didn’t you tell me you were Ladybug, Marinette?”  
“I-I thought… didn’t you know?” his eyes widened in shock at her question  
“What? No! Of course I didn’t know. Do you really think I would have kept it from you if I knew that my girlfriend was also my partner?” she gasped as her hands slowly rose to cover her mouth… did he just call her… “Wait… did you really think that?” his eyes shone with hurt “Do you really trust me so little? How could you think I’d willingly do that? To YOU of all people”  
“Ch-Chat… I-I mean Adrien… I-I mean… shoot” she chuckled sadly “I don’t even know what to call you right now”  
… “Adrien” he folded his arms across his chest  
“A-Adrien, then” she glanced to her side as she rubbed her arms nervously “S-so if you didn’t already know, then… how’d you know?” she whispered. She bit her bottom lip, afraid of his answer  
“You told me” her head shot up, her eyes wide in question as she looked at the boy in front of her “the Akuma… you got hit. Tell-Tale Heart… he was just like in the book. He made it to where you began spilling your guts against me… in the middle of the battle at that. I was your first kiss? Your first love? Your first dance? When I first started to visit you… you stated all of it, out in the open. In front of the Akuma at that. And I STILL didn’t catch on. You LITERALLY had to detransform in my ARMS for me to FINALLY put all the pieces together.”  
“So… y-you really didn’t know?”  
“Marinette?” the two teenagers turned to see Tikki floating over to her chosen. Mari held her hand out for the little goddess to land softly. Mari gently began to brush a finger over the Kawamii’s head. Her eyes filled with tears as she just continued to look at her little friend, trying her best to hide into herself and avoid eye contact with a certain blonde  
“I-I th-thought that you knew. I-I th-thought…”  
“Did you really think I would leave you in the dark like that? That I’d use you like that?” his whispers were close, and she could see he was knelt down in front of her, could feel his hand gently resting on her knees… and could hear he hurt and disappointment in his voice… she just couldn’t bring herself to look at him… she didn’t deserve to look at him. “Marinette?”  
“YoulovedLadybugfirst” she mumbled through her silent tears  
“… so?”  
“Y-you loved L-Ladybug first, so… wh-why would you…” she took a shaky breath in, trying to reign in her emotions before they became too much “L-Ladybug, she’s power, strong, great, beautiful, smart… it’s easy to see why you’d fall for her… heck half of Paris has fallen for her… she’s a hero after all. But Marinette” she pauses to hold back another sob that threatened to break free  
“Princess?” he sounded confused, and perhaps… a little concerned?  
“Why would you even look Marinette’s way when you have her?” she squeezed her eyes shut as the silent tears fell freely “I mean… you’re… you’re perfect. In BOTH forms. You’re smart, handsome, talented, kind, strong, calm and collected, sweet, funny, honest… Marinette… M-Marinette is none of those things… she’s… c-clumsy, shy, w-weak, c-confused, scared… she’s pathetic, you know? Sh-she stutters, she’s… not the brightest… heck. She can’t even get one sale online from one of her personal projects. She’s not thin, or… o-or p-pretty. She’s short and stubby and can’t even wear proper heels without falling flat on her face. R-really though… I-I can see wh-why you choose Ladybug over Marinette… heck, maybe it’d have been better if there never even was a Marine-”  
“Marinette stop” he quickly took both her hands, which she just now noticed had both been empty… when had Tikki flown away? She still refused to make eye contact… but she felt him tighten his grip on her. “Now you listen, and you listen good. I don’t care WHO you are, even if you’re the same girl yourself… you WILL NEVER AGAIN degrade the love of my life like that again!” he sounded angry… serious… Mari chanced a glance up. There was so much anger, fear, confusion, and another emotion she couldn’t quite name floating around in his eyes “Also… I will never hear another lie about her again. Got it? I won’t tolerate ANYONE, not even herself, BULLYING the girl of my dreams ever again.” Mari snatched her hands back and rose to her feet, jaw clenched as she glared down at the boy still on his knees  
“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD LIE ABOUT MYSELF?!” huffing she began pacing around the room  
“Well EXCUSE ME, but that’s EXACTLY what it SOUNDS like!” he rose to his feet, glaring at her as she journeyed from one side of his room to the room to the other  
“OH, GREAT… SO NOW YOU KNOW ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF?!” She paused her pacing, turning on her heels to face him  
“IT WOULD APPEAR SO!” he knew his volume was increasing, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now… did she REALLY think so low about herself? Marinette scoffed as she crossed her arms  
“Oh REALLY? Then PLEASE, ENLIGHTEN me. Just HOW did I LIE about MYSELF, as you claim?” Adrien looked at her in disbelief  
“Are you serious?” he almost whispered with wide, concerned eyes “Marinette… how could you say all those cruel things about yourself? Why would you ever think so lowly of yourself?” softly he began walking over towards the frozen girl “I want to tell you… about this girl I met my first day of school” he took small, gentle strokes towards the girl before him “you see… we started off on the wrong foot… had a bit of a misunderstanding, you might say… you see, it was my first time going to public school, and… I had no idea one of my only friends was a bully… I quickly learned so, however, when she placed her chewed up gum on the seat of one of our classmates. I was trying to remove it when suddenly the owner of the seat showed up…” he paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck nervously at the memory “see, she thought that I was the one putting the gum there” he looked to her again, straight into her eyes “that girl… she showed me a fire that I had never seen before from a girl my age… and towards me at that. Because… people know me as Gabriel Agreste’s son, so they’re always fake and what they call charming… I call it being overbearing… but with her… it didn’t matter who I was to her. She was honest and let her true feelings show… the last time a woman had actually been that open with me was… my mother” He began slowly walking forward again “I’ll be honest… my heart stopped. She literally put the fear of God in me. And for the rest of the day… I couldn’t get her out of my head. That girl…” he finally stood before her, only an inch away “she showed such power, and strength, even I, who had only just met her, could tell that she’d be a great leader. And I couldn’t help but wonder… who is this girl? And why does she seem to have such a strong hold on my heart?” Mari blinked up at him  
“But, that’s… me… wha- but if I had a hold on your heart… then… wh-what about Ladybug?” she whispered. Adrien smirked as he leaned down to whisper in her ear  
“Can I tell you a secret?” she nodded “Right after the moment I became Chat Noir… that girl was on my mind” he pulled back to see the flabbergasted expression on her face  
“What?”  
“When I got home that day, I was afraid my father would tell me that I could never go back again. My biggest thought though, was that I may never get to see that little spitfire again… so naturally, when I received Plagg and became Chat Noir… I-uh… m-may have questioned if I suddenly showed up before her… would she be impressed?”  
“y-you wanted to… impress her?”  
“Of course. Gosh Mari, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Which, uh… maaay have been why I was so distracted while walking on my baton that I didn’t see a certain girl flying my way… my first impression of her” he took a moment to dramatically contemplate his words “cute and clumsy” she slapped his chest playfully. He chuckled  
“Not funny”  
“No… but the truth” he sobered up a little “see… she kinda fell into me because she wasn’t used to her yo-yo yet. Then we got tangled up together, hanging by my baton. Then we got loose and her yo-yo hit me in the head. She was nervous, a little stutterish, and almost gave away her real name” he smirked at her blush… she was so cute  
“Y-you caught that?”  
“That I did my Lady.” He wrapped his arms around her waist loosely “in all honesty, when I first saw her, my first thought was of my bold classmate. But then I thought, nah, she’s too cool to be this nervous…”  
“B-but I wasn’t cool”  
“… you were to me.” She blinked up at him as he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck “my new partner… I was kinda worried for her. She did kinda seem a little clumsy on our first meeting, after all. I worried she’d hurt herself or anyone else by accident if she didn’t get control of her powers soon. But I also could tell that she didn’t have much confidence in herself. So… I tried to encourage her the best I could.” Adrien gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear “I couldn’t help it… I felt drawn to her, like… I couldn’t let anything happen to her.” He gently lifted her head up to him “then, I watched her grow from a meek little kitten, to a mighty lioness. Her strength and leadership came out at full force. Again, the girl from my class crossed my mind, but when I saw my partner actually save the class bully… honestly, I didn’t know her that well, or… really anyone to be honest. But based on what I already knew… there should have been no reason for that girl to voluntarily save the one who’d been bullying her… possibly from childhood. So I assumed that perhaps my partner didn’t know that the girl she was saving was actually a bully…” Mari frowned  
“Are you telling me that you actually thought I would just let Chloe DIE? What kind of monster do you think I am?” She pushed away from his hold, glaring up at him. He avoided her eye contact  
“I told you… I didn’t know you then” she turned her head away with a pout. He sighed “Look, the point is… I didn’t fall in love with her for her suit” he gently turned her head, meeting her eyes with hers “I fell for the kindness, the compassion, the generosity, the courage, the support, the encouragement, the strength… I fell for her deep blue eyes, like pools I could just get lost in for all time. I fell for her midnight hair, so dark, it’s like I’m looking into the vast universe. I fell for her gentle hands, so sweet and skill full, I know there’s nothing she can’t do. I fell for her brilliant mind, because no matter what obstacle pops up in her way, she’s always able to not only come up with a way out, but to be sure that not a single soul is hurt in the process. She’s patient, a good friend, a wonderful leader, beautiful, incredible, breathtaking, beautiful-”  
“You said that already” he gently lifted her head back towards him, gently smiling down at her bright pink face  
“I know. I just thought you might need to hear it again. Marinette, everything that I have mentioned, I have seen in both Marinette AND Ladybug. You can’t have one without the other.” He brushed her cheek with a thumb, then leaned down and gave her a soft, gentle kiss “Princess… my Lady… Marinette… I love you, and I am so sorry it’s taken me so long to see you… and I hope I’m not overstepping any lines or anything, but… will you be my girlfriend?”  
Marinette looked up in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting THAT… “I-I-uh…” she swallowed  
“I’m sorry, that was too formal of me” he stated, taking a step back from her  
“NO!” she quickly stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around him as if she were afraid that if she’d let go… he’d disappear “N-no, w-wait, please…” she took a deep breath “i-it’s just that… I had no idea that’s how you saw me, or that you thought of me like that, or that even after everything, y-you’d… still want to give us a chance?” Adrien blinked in surprise before returning her embrace  
“Marinette, I love you. Of course I want us to be together. Look… with us being together… we’re gonna have our tiffs with each other. There will be joy, and there will be tears… Especially with us being super heroes… as long as we never go to bed angry with each other, and use those experiences to learn from… my Lady, we can get through anything. Alright?” she nodded against his chest, filling the boy with comfort and pride “and just for the record” he whispered into her hair “I’m not perfect”. Immediately Marinette pulled back and lightly slapped his arm   
“If you start insulting yourself to get a point across, you’ve got another thing coming Mr.” Adrien chuckled before pulling her into another hug  
“… M-Marinette… we’re still good… right? I mean… y-you’re still my girlfriend… right?” Mari pulled back enough to not be hugging him, but didn’t remove her hands from his waist as she looked to the floor beside her, biting her lip nervously “Mari?”  
“I” she began “honestly Adrien, I don’t know. I-I mean, I still love you, and I’m GLAD that you never lied to me, or at least, not like I thought you did, b-but… i-it’s still a lot to take in” she dropped her arms from around him, taking a step back and wrapping her arms around herself instead “I-I mean, I-I just found out that BOTH of the boys I love are actually the exact same person, It’s… i-it’s a lot to take in. I think, maybe, w-we should take some time to… think about it” she tightened her grip around herself, afraid of his reaction  
“Actually, I think… I think I might need that too” wide-eyed, the girl shot her eyes up to see him scratching the back of his neck nervously “So… we’re still good though, like… we’re still friends, just…”  
“We’re taking to a break to take the time to adjust before just jumping head first into a relationship” she finished  
“Yeah… honestly Mari, that sounds like a good idea. We can work on our friendship first, as well as our partnership, before pursuing any direct form of romance” her arms fell to her sides as she let out a sigh in relief, a small smile forming on her lips  
“That’s exactly what I was thinking” she lightly chuckled. Suddenly her eyes widened “Uh, Adrien, what time is it?”  
“Huh? Oh, uh, just a sec” he walked over to his three-screen computer and wiggled the mouse “it’s about 2:56 AM my Lady”  
“I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to go. I’m supposed to be up at five to help with the bakery… technically today, so... Tikki?”   
“Do you want me to call a car?” she turned to look at Adrien, her look of surprise quickly forming into a smirk  
“I’m pretty sure it’d be faster by yo-yo… I hear there’s less traffic” she winked “Tikki, spots on!” Ladybug swiftly made her way over to the large window, about to open it, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to find Chat Noir looking at her like a poor lost kitten  
“Do you want an escort?” Ladybug rolled her eyes  
“Chat, I’m pretty sure I know the way to my own house” she shook her head amused  
“I know, just… do you have to go?” she quickly pulled him into a loving hug as he returned the affection “I love you my Lady” he whispered  
“I love you too Kitty” she tightened her hold “I’ll see you tomorrow” before she let go and stood on her tip toes to plant a light kiss on his lips, stunning him for a total of two seconds before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss, hoping to portray all the love for this girl he’s ever felt. Finally the two pulled away  
“Text me when you’re home safe, okay?”  
“Okay”  
“Promise?” she giggled  
“I promise” he leaned down and pecked her lips again   
“Have a safe trip home my Lady”   
“I will” with that, she hook her yo-yo and lifted off into the Parisian night. 

Twenty minutes later found Adrien laying on his bed, as his phone finally sounded  
M- As promised. Home safe and sound. Gnight Kitty~  
Adrien smiled as he typed out his response before finally turning over and falling into a deep, much needed sleep  
A- Goodnight Princess <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... turns out the emotions wound up all over the place, which... actually wasn't planned. Actually, the plan was that Adrien would be pretty ticked at Mari for ever doubting him and his loyalty, but... as you can see, I just COULDN'T keep our sunshine boy mad forever... lol, sorry. boy's been hurt enough I say.   
> So... Thoughts? Comments? Predictions? don't forget to leave them down below, and if I end up using anything, I'll be sure to give credit to where credit's due.
> 
> comment, Comment, COMMENT!!!


	29. Chapter 29

Chloe had been pacing around back and forth for a while now… she couldn’t believe this was happening… why was this happening again? Of ALL the people he could have turned to… why HER? I mean, he wasn’t willing to help her with her particle physics, so why should SHE have to help HIM?! Chloe sighed… then again, he WAS a hero to Paris… and… her friend… even if he didn’t realize she knew… and… she DID kinda accidently get him grounded… oops… anyway… how had this happened again? All she had wanted to do was work on her tan-line on the rooftop pool deck, when, who did she find sitting in HER usual spot, holding his head in his hands, mumbling to himself, other than Chat Noir himself? Well… THAT was unexpected. Chloe scoffed “Chat Noir. What are you doing here?” Chat jumped at the sudden accusation, surprised to have been caught. He stared at her in shock. She rolled her eyes as she folded her arms “Well?” she was starting to get irritated at his gapping and she let out another groan. “Are you just going to stand there gapping like a fish all day?”  
“C-Chloe-”  
“Geeze, look at you. You look like you just got dragged through the mud… figuratively speaking. And why are you on MY rooftop anyway? Did you just suddenly forget where she lives?”  
“W-what? No. Chloe, you misundersta-”  
“So judging based off of your solemn look, your depressed state, and the fact that you’re on MY rooftop, I’m going to assume this has to do something with ‘your Lady’ right? What? Did you get in a fight or something?” that shut him up. BINGO. Chloe sighed, again, at her predicament… just what did he do this time? “UGH! Okay fine. Come with me. It’s starting to chill down out here anyway.” She started making her way back to the rooftop elevator before she turned around… to see him standing in the exact spot he jumped to when she first caught him, staring at her with an unreadable expressing on his face. Chloe huffed as she placed her fists on her sides “Well? Are you coming or not?”

 

“Okay, so… remind me again WHY you first thought of ME to come to with your little Lady problems?”  
“But I didn’t-”  
“And YET you didn’t just zoom off when you first saw me” Chloe looked back to see him hanging his head. She sighed “Okay, okay… look, I’m gonna be civilized here and TRY to help, but I swear, if word gets out, I will deny it up and down until Ladybug’s Lucky Charms don’t work, okay? I have a reputation to uphold after all” Chat lightly chuckled at that as she sat on the bed beside him… good, his sense of humor was still there “Now… let’s take it from the top” Chat sighed  
“It’s… a long story” he chanced a side glance up at her, only seeing a lifted eyebrow as if telling him to continue… he sighed “it… it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, you know? The first time I fell for her… I didn’t recognize it. The second time, I had admitted it to myself after seeing her give a grand speech. The third time, I was FINALLY her friend… as Chat anyway… she told me she liked someone else, and, I thought I liked someone else… later on I found out her crush was really me all along, but… the wrong side of me… she liked my civilian form, even though we barely ever spoke face to face. The fourth time… she was hit by an akuma… I… I couldn’t find Ladybug, and… she was the only one left I could ask if they’d seen her, but… she was asleep”  
“FairyGodmother?”  
“FairyGodmother”  
“So you woke her?” he nodded. She thought over it for a moment “You kissed her, didn’t you?”  
“it was my first kiss” Chloe scoffed at that “What’s so funny?”  
“We’ll come back to that one later” she stated “Continue” he side-eyed her, but continued on  
“Anyway… after she woke up, she found Ladybug and we defeated the akuma. But then I was troubled… why had she woken up for me? So I figured, maybe it was just because it was a kiss, that heck, any kiss could have worked, but then Nath told me his didn’t work-”  
“HE WHAT?!” she jumped to her feet in complete horror/rage  
“Uh… y-yeah, th-this guy told me that he’d tried to kiss her and it didn’t work” he scratched the back of his neck nervously, trying to pass over the fact that he just TOTALLY gave out the name of one of his classmates… crap. Chloe gritted her teeth angrily as her eyes and fists squeezed shut good and tight  
“iTHOUGHTwehadanunderstandingNathaniel” she mumbled out through her teeth, trying to keep her composure  
“What?” she took a deep breath  
“Again, we’ll come back to that later.” She stated as she pinched the brim of her nose, taking her seat beside him again “Go on”  
“W-well, it got me thinking… why did it work for me? I spent days doing all the research I could when suddenly Ladybug found me. She told me that the girl was looking for me… worried about me. So I approached her and… asked her why she liked my civilian form… she started listing off all these good qualities I’d never even noticed in myself, she promised to still love ‘him’ no matter what happened, I told her I loved her, and then… I kissed her” Chloe was on the edge of her seat, eyes wide as she waited for him to keep going like some sort of American soap opera… her anxiety getting the best of her  
“and then?”  
“she slapped me” Chloe’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped and tried to keep her giggle to herself  
“Are you serious?”  
“Dead serious” she lost it. She burst into laughter at that. If only he knew what she knew... She was half tempted to tell him… no, not yet. “Then she yelled at me”  
“Oh really? What did you do?”  
“Relayed to her why I loved her, that I was telling the truth. And then I kissed her again, but this time… she kissed me back” he had a soft smile to his face. Chloe made a gagging sound  
“Seriously?”  
“Yeah” the two stayed silent a moment longer as Chat reminisced back on that time  
“UGH!!! Are you going to finish or not?”  
“Wha-“  
“Your story. You left of at ‘she kissed me back’” she mocked  
“Uhhh”  
“Oh for Pete sake. Look, I know you’re talking about Mari-brat, okay? And I KNOW there’s more to the story. So, if you would…” Chat’s jaw dropped  
“Wh-wha, uh… h-how did you…?” he asked with a nervous smile. Chloe looked at him like had just told her Vera Wade was really plastic.   
“Ugh, you really are quite oblivious, you know?” She groaned as she walked over to the binoculars hanging beside her balcony window. “It just turns out, I’m not as oblivious as you… go ahead, take a look” Chat hesitantly went and grabbed said device “stand there” she pointed to an X taped out on her carpet. Confused (he always thought that was there to like, mark a perfect place for a selfie or something), Chloe directed him to look through the binoculars “Forty degrees to the right, ten degrees up, 5 degrees left” Chat followed her directions… and paled. She scoffed again as she adjusted the zoom to be at it’s max  
“W-why do you…”  
“Look. She may not seem it all the time, but that girl has some SERIOUS self-confidence issues. And the truth is… I hate that.” She frowned as she looked out towards his visual destination… she sighed “I know… I’m a bully… especiallytowardsher, but I have my reasons… I love her” Chat’s focus quickly shifted to the other blonde  
“What?!”  
“Pfft, not like that, silly… she was the first female friend I met, you know? And honestly, I DID kinda have a crush on her… but… mother never approved. She told me that I was too good for her, a lowly bakers-daughter could NEVER make me happy… friend or not… especially since she was so head strong. Mother insisted I was better than her, that she could never compare, that everyone LOVED me more than anyone could even TRY for her… she forbade me to interact with her… but then… I met her parents. They were so nice, and gave everyone, myself included, a freshly baked cookie… well, you can imagine how MOTHER took it… imagine your father when you break diet… times a hundred” Chat winced at that, not catching on to what she had actually let slide… she smirked “After that Mother started pampering me so much, always making me pretty, putting on my make-up, teaching me to wear high-high heels, only being allowed to interact with other ‘high-class society’ kids, she pulled me out of school… heck, she even went out of her way to tell me EXACTLY who I was going to marry in the future… even IF Adrien’s own mother never approved… AND I WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD!… I abandoned Marinette for my mother… and what did SHE do? She left… she didn’t even say goodbye. Just left some stupid note saying that she couldn’t stand living with me and daddy anymore, and that she wanted me to keep doing everything she taught me…So I did. I figured, if she came back and saw I did as she said… that maybe… she’d stay.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she avoided eye contact. “but…” she whispered “I was wrong” she walked over to her bed to have a seat. Chat lowered the binoculars as he watched her walk away. Chloe sighed “see the truth is… she did come back… a few days ago, to be exact.” Chat stared in shock. I mean, yeah, they may have started growing apart over the years, but for Chloe’s mother to have come back and… she really hadn’t said anything? “she came back to…” she was starting to tear up “Shewantedadivorce” his jaw dropped as he slowly started making his way over to his oldest friend “turns out… when she left us… she went and accidently got herself pregnant by a stranger at one of the random clubs she frequented… then lost the baby… she changed. She said that in loosing that baby… a part of her died with them. Believe it or not, she started doing charities, hosting fundraisers, donating everything she had… then she went and found love… real love. With the director of one of her fundraisers…” She pulled a picture out from under her pillow as Chat sat beside her. She sighed “they went and adopted three kids… can you believe it? MY mother, not only taking in three kids, but orphans… of a lowly shoemaker and his wife… do you know the first thing she said to me?” she chuckled sadly “she apologized. Can you believe it? She actually apologized for how she raised me, for abandoning me, for turning me into a mini version of herself… and that she couldn’t take me with her.” She wiped away her silent tears “She’s getting married… and… they’re having a baby” her fists tightened as she clenched her teeth “she said her biggest regret was raising me to be just like her… She said she wished she could go back in time and raise me right… kind, patient, generous… she claims to have taken these from me back when I was four. Before she went and just… left.” She looked up suddenly when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. He gave a comforting smile… she broke. She threw her arms around him as she began to bawl into his chest. He hugged her back as any good friend would and let her cry it out until her tears had dried. She sighed “Thank you Adrien” his eyes shot open as he quickly pushed her to arm’s length looking scared as the cat he was. Chloe rolled her eyes “Oh, common Adrien. We literally knew each other since diapers. Did you REALLY think I wouldn’t recognize you? Even in that dumb cat suite?” she smirked as she crossed her arms   
“B-bu-b-but… how?”  
“Pfft* It really wasn’t that hard. Or did you forget I’ve seen you with crazy hair like that since we were kids. And lets not forget where you were, like, completely obsessed with cats”  
“Hey! I was, like… five!” she giggled as she ruffled his hair  
“You were still obsessed” he pouted as he crossed his arms and looked away, making her stifle another giggle. He sighed “At least you’re smiling again” her smirk softened   
“So what’s with the binoculars?”  
“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice when one of Paris’ heroes suddenly started showing up above a certain bakery? I’m the daughter of the Mayor of Paris. It’s kinda my job to keep tabs on our beloved heroes”  
“Oh” she ruffled his hair again then fell back on her bed  
“Ugh! I can’t believe it really took you THIS long to figure out you like Marinette”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Seriously Adrien. You’re cute, but so gullible. Honestly I could tell right away that you’d be good together… which is another reason I was always so mean to her and tried to always get between you both… especially since mother insisted that WE were going to marry someday” Chat choked on air  
“WHAT?!”  
“Oh relax. It was just her word. Your own mother never let it happen anyway. Stating that if we were to marry, it would be for love like her and your father, and not for riches and fame like mine” they were straying into dangerous territory again  
“So… you think we’re good together?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously  
“Me and you? Not a chance. You and Mari… you’re more than good… you’re like, PERFECT” she threw her hands up in the air before sitting up to look him in the eye “And so help me, if you hurt her again, you’re going to have to answer to ME… got it?” Adrien blinked at the sudden change  
“Why do I feel like you’re a bee threatening to sting me?” she smirked again  
“Because if you hurt my hero, then you can bet your runny cheese that’s EXACTLY what I’ll do”  
“… your hero?”  
“Well, I AM her biggest fan”  
“Wha-” she motioned around the room, pointing out all the red and black poka-dot fan memorabilia. His eyes widened as he looked back to the window and back to the girl sitting beside him “Chloe… why do you have binoculars and the EXACT coordinations for the Dupain-Cheng bakery?”  
“I told you… it’s my job to know the whereabouts of Paris’ heroes” his jaw closed as his shock turned to a glare  
“You know, you’re pretty lucky I already knew, otherwise YOU would have had to be the one to explain to her how Chat Noir suddenly knew her identity”  
“Yeah yeah, save it for later, will ya?” his glare softened  
“How long?”  
“Hmm?”  
“How long have you known about her?”  
“Oh, well… I’d say shortly after you saved my Akuma. It didn’t take much, really. I’d already had my suspicions for a while, I just needed some confirmation… which I got”  
“How?”  
“That, my dear sir, is top secret” she answered with a wink. Chat groaned as he fell back on the bed… only to shoot back up with a look of horror on his face  
“Chloe… if you’ve been watching us.. h-how much did you see?”  
“Hmm? Oh, well, I could only see when you were on the balcony, and when you passed the windows, so… pretty much all of it”  
“A-all of it?” he suddenly paled white as a ghost  
“Geeze, lighten up, will ya?”  
“Wai- so why did you want me to tell you what happened if you already knew?!”  
“Hmm? Oh, well just because I could see, doesn’t mean I can hear, she’s like, a block away.” Chat groaned as he fell back again, covering his eyes with one arm  
“Oh my gosh… I’m friends with a Parisian spy who watches peoples private moments like some sort of soap opera”  
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with soaps”  
“Not the point Chloe” they were silent a few minutes more before she sighed  
“I love her, you know? Not like, romantically, kinda like how I love you, but more like… as a little sister or something. Gosh, I don’t know, but I know I don’t want to see her hurt anymore… and, I’ve been thinking about it… my mom… she actually seems happier now… even though their family only lives in a four bedroom apartment that her fiancé is paying rent for, with no more access to any of daddy’s money… she seems legitly happy… and now I can honestly say… I want to be like her” he sat up to see her eyes tearing up again, but this time, she had a small honest smile to go with it. He smiled back. “I’m… I wanna make a change. I want to be better than I was before. I want to be kinder, smarter, more considerate of other’s feelings…”  
“That’s gonna take some work you know” she chuckled  
“Years of being a selfish brat need undone… believe me, I KNOW this is going to be hard, but… I still want to try. Would you… w-will you help me?” he smiled and gave her a side hug  
“Of course. I’m really proud of you Chloe” she hugged him back  
“Well, I suppose there’s no time like the present… I’m… I-I’m sorry for getting you grounded” Chat quirked an eyebrow as he sat back to look at her  
“Yeah, what was that for anyway? Why did you complain to my father about Marinette?”  
“UGH! I’m sorry okay? Look, I was still trying to get a grasp on the fact that not only was my mother back, even if only for a short time, but that she had COMPLETELY changed from the woman I once knew. I was hurting and confused, and the fact that just that morning, I gained a new baby Brother… I had just wanted things to go back to how they were… me crushing on you, Mari being to shy and clumsy to admit HER crush on you, and YOU being WAY too oblivious to the basic facts in front of your face… seeing you two actually kissing in public like that… I mean, watching you from here on her balcony, at least you’re in costume, and I can pretend you’re someone else. But seeing YOU, as Adrien kissing her… it was just too much. I was angry, sad, scared… you were supposed to be mine… not hers, MINE. That’s what Mother had always told me. That was my only goal for YEARS Adrikens, but then… I guess I snapped… I’m sorry.” She sighed as she removed her rubber band and brushed her hands over her head, flattening her loose hair down“… So why did you come over here in the first place?” Chat frowned as his ears flattened  
“Oh right, that…”  
“Is something wrong?”  
“I… I don’t know. It’s just… the reveal… it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I mean, SHE found out because I had a stupid slip of the tongue, and I found out when she LITERALLY detransformed in my arms… she thought I knew… she thought I knew the WHOLE time, and that I was ‘using’ her to ‘get to Ladybug’” Chloe looked shocked… she hadn’t expected that.   
“… you weren’t… were you?”  
“OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK ME THAT?!” he sprung to his feet as he stared at his oldest friend  
“Well, gee, I don’t know, maybe because you were SO obsessed with Ladybug and proclaiming you love her SOOOO much nearly ANY time she was brought up, and then suddenly you just, what, fell in love with Marinette?! Think about it, will ya? How would you feel if SHE had done that to Adrien? Huh?” his jaw had dropped, but no words would come… he sighed  
“I have” he fell to his knees, defeated “I have thought about how I would feel if it were the other way around… if she had learned I was both Chat and Adrien, and that was the only reason she even ever put up with Chat’s nightly visits… I admit… it hurts to think about, and I can’t bring myself to be so mad at her anymore when I do, but… it still hurts to think she doesn’t trust me like I thought she did” he sighed as he dropped his head into his hands, completely missing the thoughtful look that crossed Chloe’s face.  
“You know what… I take back what I said”  
“which was?” he asked, not looking up  
“That you two belong together… in fact, I’d even go so far as to say forget about her” Chat’s head shot up so fast, Chloe was surprised he didn’t get whiplash  
“What?!”  
“I said forget about her. I mean, EVERYONE knows you CAN’T have a good relationship if there’s NO trust, and yes, abuse of trust counts. So, as your oldest, closest and dearest friend, I’m telling you, for your own good… Forget about her. Forget about that time, forget about the first night you gazed into her eyes. Forget about her charms, forget about the way she held you in her arms. Walking on air’s obnoxious, the thrill, the chill, will make you nauseous, and you’ll never get enough. Just forget about love!” she rose from her seat and began to dance to the music in her head “Forget about romance, forget about the way your heart begins to dance. Then you feel the blush, while you’re spouting out some sentimental mush. Love really is revolting, especially when your heart starts halting, Enough of this fluff! Just forget about love!”  
“I had nearly forgot the way it felt, when she held out her hand for mine” he sang as he rose to his feet “My heart all a flutter”  
“Oh how I shutter” she made a gagging motion  
“The first time we kissed”  
“It won’t be missed. Forget about her touch”  
“I can’t forget about her touch”  
“In the scheme of things it doesn’t matter much”  
“It matters so much”  
“You’re better on your own, a meal becomes a banquet when you eat alone!” she smirked as she sang “Love’s filled with compromises, and don’t you hate those big surprises”  
“A cozy rendezvous”  
“Oh Pah-lease!”  
“Candle light for two”  
“Oh geeze”  
“Look, you’re calling my bluff, I can’t forget about love” just then his baton started blinking before the two blondes heard a knocking on the window. They both turned to see a nervous looking Ladybug standing awkwardly on the balcony. Chat looked back to his friend… who then motioned with her head for him to go. Chat grinned large and wide before sprinting over to the balcony door. “My Lady?” she spun around to face him a look of both shock and shame crossing her face  
“Chat! I’msosorry, Ireallymessedeverythingup, andIcanonlyhopeyou’llforgiveme, eventhoughIdon’tdeserveit, I… I-Iunderstandifyoudon’t, orwon’tor-“ he placed a single finger over her speedy lips  
“Shh… I can’t forget about my heart”  
“I can’t forget about my heart”  
“and how it felt to fall for you right from the start” she blushed  
“I’m still falling”  
“Whatever we may do”  
“Whatever we may do”  
“You’ll be there for me and I’ll be there for you”  
“I’ll be there to wish, to want, to wonder, to find the sun through rain and thunder” they sang together  
“A cozy rendezvous”  
“Yes purr-lease”  
“Candle light for two”  
“Oh geeze! Enough is enough!” Chloe added from her place in the doorway  
“We can’t, forget about love” they sang in perfect harmony. They stared into each other’s eyes, a graceful smile on both their faces… until they heard the sound of crunching. They both turned to see Chloe, having pulled up her desk chair, sitting in the doorway, eating popcorn as if she were watching a show “Chloe!” they both stated in unison  
“What? I always have popcorn with my favorite show” both heroes’ faces turned red as Ladybugs suite  
“Aaand, we’re done here” Chat stated as he scooped Ladybug up into his arms and began carrying her away from the hotel balcony. They could faintly hear Chloe’s cries of ‘unfair’ as they got farther and farther away  
“Where are we going?” Ladybug asked with a giggle as her arms found their way around his neck  
“Somewhere more private. We should talk about all of this” he stated as he kept his eyes straight ahead (as hard as it was to not look down into her eyes) to keep them from falling as he made his way across the Parisian rooftops. Ladybug’s smile fell slightly, as she looked out past the scenery as they hopped by  
“You passed my house though”  
“Like I said, somewhere more private.”  
“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked in confusion  
“I’ll explain THAT later, for now, enjoy the ride” he smirked down at her, and she couldn’t help hiding her face into his chest to try and hide the extensive blush that had just taken over her whole face. Chat laughed as he continued his journey. The sound was music to his Lady’s ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE HAVE INTERNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> XD  
> Lol thank you all SO much for your patience.  
> I'll have you know, I've also started on To Capture A Mermaid's Heart and Designing Love, so keep your eyes out for both of those updates too ^_^  
> (Also kudos to Shiori_Kudo for the song suggestion, Forget About Love - Jafar Returns)


	30. The Butterfly Sanctuary

Ladybug’s eyes were wide as Chat, still holding her like her nickname’s style, gracefully landed on his feet in the middle of the bedroom, dropping his transformation as soon as he landed. “Drop your transformation” he whispered in her ear as he gently sat her on her feet. Ladybug gulped as she obeyed his request, leaving a nervous Marinette to glance around the room, eyes landing on his bed… she felt a chill go up her spine  
“A-Adrien, I-” he pressed a finger to her lips as he whispered  
“I’m not supposed to have guests over this late, just follow my lead and try to be as quiet as possible, okay?” he winked. Mari gulped again  
“A-Adrien- EEP!” Adrien suddenly grabbed her wrist  
“Do you trust me?” he asked. She gazed into his vibrant green eyes, catching her breath, she slightly nodded. He smiled as he began pulling her to a wall over by his bathroom. She blinked in confusion as he smirked over his shoulder and pushed the wall open. Marinette gapped at the sight and Adrien pulled her in. As quietly as they could be, Adrien pulled her through the dark hallway, down a flight of stairs, and through another hall  
“H-how can you see?” she asked in amazement as she allowed him to lead her to wherever they were going. She could almost hear the smirk  
“Well, I mean, I AM Chat Noir”  
“Adrien” she groaned. He laughed  
“When I asked Plagg about it before, he said something about it being a side effect of being Chat Noir… before he started begging for cheese” she giggled as he continued pulling her down another flight of stairs. They continued on in silence for a moment more  
“Where are we, anyway?”  
“The servant’s halls. They lead to every room in the mansion… how else do you think the mansion stays so clean and orderly without ever seeing any maids or servants?”  
“So… how did YOU learn about them?” he chuckled  
“Father grounded me once, and I caught one of the maids off guard as I was still in my room when she tried to come in. From that time on, I’ve taken to learning each hall and where it leads. It’s really helped me a time or two when I needed to slip out as Chat Noir and father has me on lockdown” she frowned as she gazed at what she assumed would be the back of his head  
“Does it really happen that often?” he was silent a moment more as the continued forward into the darkness  
“I know that father loves me, he’s just so over protective, especially since my mom… I’ve been saving every paycheck since I was fourteen. I only have about two more years before I can finally move out on my own”  
“Adrien” Adrien shook his head as they finally came to a stop before a door.  
“Marinette… what I’m about to show you, I’ve never shared with anyone else… this place… it’s become a sort of a sanctuary for me, especially since my mom… well… I’ll just let you see now, okay?” just then the door started opening. Mari covered her eyes at the sudden brightness from the room, then she let her eyes adjust  
“Wow” Adrien gently pulled her more into the room. The floor was made of grass, there were flowers of all kinds surrounding the perimeter of the room, a large oak tree growing in the middle of the room, and all around, fluttering throughout the room, were hundreds of… “Oh Adrien” Marinette stared in amazement as a soft, pure white butterfly landed on her perched finger. She giggled as it gently crawled a little before taking off to rejoin its friends in the sky.  
“Hey Mari” she turned to look and burst into laughter at the oversized butterfly that sat perched on his nose as he scrunched up his face to look like a duck. They both watched as the butterfly took off again. Adrien took her hand again and led her more into the room, finding a spot in the middle for them to sit. They sat back together, watching as the butterflies flutter by in their dance in the sky. “I’m glad you’re not scared” Mari turned to see him scratching the back of his neck nervously  
“Why would I be scared?”  
“It’s just… butterflies these days… they’re more associated with Akumas than a beautiful bug, you know?” she pouted  
“That’s not really fair to the butterflies”  
“Yeah?”  
“Yeah” Mari sighed as she fell back to lay on the grass, Adrien doing the same “to me… butterflies… they’re a symbol of hope”  
“What do you mean?”  
“butterflies… they start out as caterpillars… basically worms… they go through so much to get their wings, then when they finally do, the struggles still not over… they have to push through the cocoon, all on their own. They HAVE to. If they don’t, then not only will they still be covered in the jelly from inside cocoon… their wings would not be strong enough to let them fly… in other words… they’d die.” She turned her head to find him staring at her. She smiled as she took his hand in hers “Sometimes… we have to go through struggles in life… and sometimes… they help us grow stronger… we learn from our mistakes, fight to make things better, and work to earn the future of our dreams. Everything happens for a reason, I’m a firm believer in that. Every situation has an important role in our lives, both the good, and the bad… I’m sorry you’ve had to go through so much bad in your life, but I hope you can find the good to come from it all” he raised their joint hands to his lips, gently kissing he hand  
“I believe I have” he whispered. Mari blushed as she quickly turned her head in hopes that he wouldn’t see it (he did), causing Adrien to begin laughing. He sat up then, leaning back on his hands that were planted behind him as he gazed up at the butterflies fluttering above their heads. Soon Mari joined him in the same position, placing her one hand over his. After a comfortable silence, Adrien sighed. “You know… when my mom left… I thought my whole world had come to an end. She was my best friend, my teacher before Nathalie… she made every lesson fun and exciting. When it just us… it was awesome. And when my dad joined in… well, you probably wouldn’t believe it, but I’d say that majority of our messy projects, like the baking soda volcano, the home-made slime, or the mento-coke rocket, were actually HIS idea. We were a true family… we were happy.” Adrien sighed again “but when she disappeared… I don’t know, things changed… Father started working more, loading my schedule to its fullest, and he had Nathalie not only become like my own personal assistant, even though she answers to my father, but he had her take over ALL of my studies… like she was supposed to suddenly take my mom’s place while he spent every moment he could at the office… it almost seemed as if I’d actually lost BOTH parents” Mari looked over to see him struggling to hold back tears, so she turned her whole self towards him, giving him her undivided attention as she gently rested a hand against his cheek. He took a shaky breath as he clasped her gentle hand in his own “They were my entire world Mari… they…. They were all that I knew. I couldn’t take it… I… I couldn’t stand the isolation… I… I-I”  
“Oh Adrien”  
“I… I called Chloe. I had made up my mind, but… I wanted to say goodbye to my only friend before I…” Mari stiffened as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. W-was he saying that he was going to- “yeah, I was.” He answered her thoughts without looking up at her “I had the pill bottle in my hand. It was already open. All I had to do was dump the whole thing down my throat” Mari swallowed hard as she tried to get her barings together  
“But… you didn’t… right?” Adrien gave a sad chuckle  
“She never let me get a word in. Honestly, I should have known better to even try to get her to actually listen to me. She kept going on and on about her school, how everyone loved her, and how she just knew they’d love me too… she convinced me. I put the cap on the bottle and stashed it away in my bed-side table drawer, then together, Chloe and I worked it out to where I was enrolled for the fall Semester since there was only a week left before Summer break… going to school… that was my only goal for months. It kept me going, the idea of anyone other than Nathalie teaching me, the possibilities of making more friends my own age, being treated like a normal kid… I HAD to go, and not even the Gorilla would get in my way.” He was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he continued “when we first met… you, uh… eheh, kinda scared me”  
“What?”  
“Well I mean… you thought I was being mean, so I can understand it all now, but back then… all I knew was that this pretty girl I’d never met was mad at me for a misunderstanding… it, uh… kinda hurt my feelings”  
“Oh” Marinette’s eyes widened at the realization “oh my gosh, I never apologized for misjudging you that day… I am SO sorry Adrien, I never meant to- I-I mean, I wasn’t trying to- that is to say, I really-” Adrien held up a hand to pause her rambling  
“I know. It’s okay, really. We were both different people back then, just getting our powers, meeting for the first time, and honestly, after seeing how Chloe treated you for all this time, I can understand how easy it would be to stereotype the new rich kid in school” he tried not to smirk as she tried to hide her face in her hands. “But you know… I still had the bottle” she looked up at him as he gazed down to his lap “meeting Ladybug… that’s when the doubt started. I fell in love with her almost right away, and thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to stick around for a little longer, but… it still lingered in the back of my mind… would I be enough? Would she notice me? Was it worth it?... I still had the bottle at home, in my drawer, just waiting for the right time… but then… I saw the pretty girl from my class. She was stuck under the awning, trying to keep herself dry from the rain. So I gathered up my courage and confronted her… I told her that I was only trying to take the gum OFF her seat, and explained how I’d never been to school or had real friends before… then I offered her my umbrella… the look on her face was precious. I couldn’t help but see how pretty she really was, and wonder what she may have been thinking about at that moment… it was at that moment I realized how much I wanted to get to know her… especially after the umbrella closed on her and I heard her giggle for the first time… I swear my heart skipped a beat… then I had to leave for home.” He smiled as he gently took one of her hands into his own “For the next week Plagg teased me without stop about my pretty classmate, saying how cute we were together, how it was funny that she suddenly couldn’t talk normally to me anymore, how I always smiled when she was in the room… and of course, me being Mr. Oblivious, I dismissed it, saying she seemed more scared of me than affectionate, and besides I had already promised my heart to my new partner, Ladybug… Two weeks later, however, Plagg found the bottle. He let me have it. He lectured me for hours on end, making me promise not to go through with it… the crazy thing is… even though the bottle hadn’t left my mind for months before… even after saving Paris for the first time… I’d come to realize that… I hadn’t actually even thought of the bottle once since meeting my pretty classmate. It made me smile. Because… the desire to get to know her better, even as a friend, FAR outweighed the desire to leave this world anymore… the promise of her friendship, and that of everyone else… saved me. It gave me a reason to hope. To live again. Plagg got to watch as I flushed every pill down the toilet” he finally looked up at her to see a soft, silent tear running down her cheek, so he gently reached up and wiped it away with his thumb. “You saved me Princess” she gave a weary smile as she reached up to cup his face, almost like she was afraid he would be gone if she didn’t confirm he was here with her own two hands. Adrien sighed as he relaxed into her gentle caress  
“Kitty”  
“Mari”  
“You… y-you can’t leave me. Please… I just got you. I’ve finally found you. Please don’t leave me. I’d be lost without you. Adrien I… I’m in love with you” his other hand came up to grasp hers still on his cheek, and gave a slight confirming squeeze  
“I’m in love with you too Princess. And don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I could never hurt you like that” he pulled her into a hug, which she quickly tightened. They stayed that way for a few minutes more before pulling back to look into each other’s eyes “Mari” he whispered as they inched closer together, both sets of eyes fluttering closed as they finally closed the ga-  
“Miraculous, Simply the Best”  
They both shot apart as Mari quickly scrambled for her phone. “It’s Alya” she stated nervously as she opened the incoming text… her eyes grew wide “There’s an akuma”  
“What?” they both shot to their feet, the mood now ruined as their hero roles took over  
“We have to get out of here” she quickly looked around the room, spotting the door they first came through. She was just starting to run when she felt her wrist be grabbed “Adrien?” she asked as she spun to look at him  
“There’s no time. The halls are long, dark and confusing. Even I could get lost if I was in a rush”  
“What do we do then?”  
“There’s another way. Common!” they both ran to the other side of the room, where Mari took notice of the white butterflies coming in and out from a hidden hallway. It was dark in the hall. Too dark for her to see her hand in front of her own face, making her very glad that her guide was not only her cat hero partner, but that he hadn’t let go of her hand… then they stopped  
“Adrien?” She couldn’t see him, but she felt the hand caressing her face, before the overwhelming presence of his lips on hers stole her breath away. When they broke, both gasping for air, she felt his forehead fall on hers  
“I’m sorry” he whispered “I just couldn’t go on without showing you how I felt. I have a really bad feeling about this one, and didn’t want to just jump into this without telling you that you are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me Marinette, and I love you. More than you could ever imagine” her breath hitched as she felt his lips graze her forehead “We should probably transform now, it’ll at least make it easier for me to get us out of here. I haven’t been down this hall in years” she gave a hum in agreement before the two called for their transformations. Chat went to pull away, but was quickly pulled back by the gloved, feminine hand suddenly behind his neck, capturing his lips with hers.  
“I love you too Kitty. And you’re not going to lose me. And I’m not going to lose you. We’re a team, remember? And together, we’ll take down this villain, just like every villain before. Then when we’re done, we can, like, go get ice cream from Andre, or something, okay?” Ladybug felt her hand be lifted to a pair of lips  
“Then we better get going, m’Lady” with that, they locked their hands together and started running again. 

As Chat Noir (aka with night vision), the boy seemed to easily maneuver the two through the pure darkness with added ease. Not a speck of light, and the only sound to be heard being the flutter of butterfly wings above their heads. The two moved as one around corners, and avoiding cracks and dips in the darkened floor… it was pretty obvious the hallway hadn’t been cared for, let alone used, in years. They started passing by doors, Chat stopping at each one to check each pitch black room before moving onto the next one. “What are you looking for?” Ladybug whispered  
“The observatory” Chat replied as he checked yet another room to no avail  
“Observatory?”  
“My mom” he began as he led her to another door “she loved insects, specifically honey bees, ladybugs and butterflies… she loved butterflies. I guess she had a thing for pollinators. That sanctuary, my father had it built for her when I was a toddler. We used to all go there and have picnics all the time. I mean, it was perfect. No bad weather, no others to disturb our peace… it was just me, mom, and my dad.” He checked another room to no avail “the observatory… the only thing she loved more than butterflies was the stars. No… she was no astronomer, but when I was little, we’d sneak outside with a blanket and she’d tell me all about the stars, the constellations, their histories, and how she believed they could tell the story of our fate.” He was silent as they rounded another corner “but then one day… me and my mom had fallen asleep outside star gazing… we woke up to the sound of a body hitting the ground. My father standing protectively before us, stun gun firm in his grasp as he shocked the body of the attempted kidnapper until the police came and took the man away. A week later, my father had the private observatory built. As far as I know, it’s the only room with a window in it since we’re technically underground, so it’s our best bet. It used to be the only door down here, but I guess over the years, father built onto it… it’s, uh… been a few years since I’ve been down here. Dang it, when did he have the time to add in all these empty rooms?” They rounded another corner  
“They’re empty?”  
“Nearly every one.” He checked another room “dangit” he mumbled through gritted teeth before pulling her along to check another door “I just don’t get it… what’s with all these empty rooms?”  
“Maybe they’re meant to throw you off” Ladybug felt him stop, then saw the pair of glowing green eyes turn to her  
“What would be the point of that? Like I said, I’ve not been down here in years. He knows that. Why would he try to throw me off? Especially since after my mom disappeared, the observatory was completely emptied, making the only thing in that room the giant butterfly telescope window”  
“Maybe it wasn’t you he was trying to keep out… maybe it was… an intruder? I mean, you did say someone has tried to attempt to kidnap you before, and I highly doubt your father would want that to happen again. And honestly… the basement is a good place for easy entrance” Chat sighed as he brushed his lips to her forehead  
“My Lady… you’re amazing. You always see the best in people, and try to give them the benefit of a doubt… even if they purposely put a thousand empty rooms in an unbreakable basement” she could hear his smirk. Her hand still in his, he tried to begin walking again, but stopped as her other hand quickly clasped his, holding him in place.  
“I’msorry” she mumbled  
“What?”  
“I said… I-I’m sorry… I didn’t give you the benefit of a doubt… I SHOULD have given you the benefit of a doubt… you’re my partner, you’ve always had my back, you’ve never left my side, you were there for me as both Ladybug AND Marinette, and I… I jumped to assume that you were using me… I should have known better… you would NEVER use ANYONE… especially me… you’re too good for me… you’re too good for ANYONE… especially me… I’m so sorry Adrien” Ladybug heard a slight chuckle as she felt his gloved thumb pad wipe under her eye  
“Marinette… I wish you wouldn’t say that. I’m no better than anyone else” she went to protest but he placed a single finger to her lips, hushing her immediately… stupid night vision “Mari, don’t. I’m serious. Do you realize how ridiculous I’ve been these last few years?” he waited a moment before he smirked “I caused Copycat. Theo was just talking about how much he admired you and I got jealous… I uh, may have said a few things that I shouldn’t have, and that seemed to set him off. With the Bubbler, I blatantly ignored my hero duties just because I wanted to party, and even let it go so far that I had to dance with Chloe” she giggled at that “And speaking of, I still can’t believe I actually believed, even for a second, that Chloe was Ladybug during Lady WiFi… I’ll tell you what, I was honestly terrified of that result until you landed right beside me. With Animan, I nearly cataclysmed the Akuma in his dinosaur form after you jumped into his mouth. I let my personal feelings get in the way with the Collector. And let’s not even mention Princess Fragrance, Dark Cupid, Puppeteer, Zombizou, Despair Bear… I can’t believe I actually fought against you. And that’s just as Chat Noir, as Adrien… I let Chloe get away with so much, I actually believed Lila when she said you saved her… I still can’t believe that. I mean, I would have known if you’d saved her before, we’re partners, we do everything together… and... I’d actually gotten so mad at you for keeping secrets from me, that not only did I try to bribe Plagg into telling me, with the most expensive cheese I could find online… but… I’d actually considered giving up my miraculous during Syren… I was about to too, then Master Fu showed up… I can be brash, overbearing, jealous, a coward, obsessive, self-conscious, ridiculously punny, and sometimes, just down right mad. But that’s okay, because I’m not perfect… I’m human, just like everybody else. … You can accept that… right?” she pulls him into a tight embrace  
“Of course I can. I love you. All of you” her grip tightens momentarily before she pulls back to look into his glowing eyes “and besides… I’m pretty sure I have you beat with obsessiveness. I didn’t see thousands of pictures of Ladybug, or a pull-down chart of her schedule in your room. And I’m pretty sure you’ve never stolen her phone to erase a slightly embarrassing voice mail of you calling me ‘Hot Stuff’” Chat laughed  
“Well, no, I can’t say I have ever stolen your phone for any reason. And it’s kinda hard to have a pull-down schedule of Paris’ hero when she only comes out for Akumas and Hawkmoth is unpredictable. As for the pictures though… let me remind you how controlling my father is, so if I want to have fan-memorabilia it has to stay secret”  
“Fan… memorabilia?”  
“Yeah, you know… Tee-Shirts, pajama bottoms, pillows, blankets, posters, dolls, robes, sweaters, and of course… pictures… lots of pictures. Lets not forget… I may be a model, really, all I have are the pictures, but Ladybug… her fan base is worlds different.”  
“But- when- how- wha-?”  
“Remind me to show you my walk-in closet after this” she could see the smirk in the way his eyes crinkled when she felt her jaw drop… stupid night vision  
“Walk-in… closet?”  
“Yeah. And that’s not even to mention my computer. Heck, the LadyBlog is my home screen, and I have every Akuma fight saved to my desk top.”  
“Oh my gosh…” she whispered “I’m dating a stalker”  
“Hey!” she giggled as she heard him cross his arms while his glowing eyes turned to the wall beside them “takesonetoknowoneyouknow” he glanced back at her, pure mirth flowing in his eyes  
“Okay, okay. I’ll give you that” she conceded with a smile  
“Good. Now… we should probably keep moving” his hand briefly touched hers “Shall we, m’Lady?” her hand grasped his in confirmation.  
“Lets”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOSH!!! I'M BACK!!!!!!  
> I am SOOOOOO sorry it's taken me this long... Adult life can be so demanding at times...
> 
> So *Claps hands together* what'd ya think? Any ideas where this is going? Hmm? Any guesses?
> 
> I know there was no song in this chapter, but I didn't feel like one fit into this chapter... it had to be serious. They had to talk. It was Adrien's turn to open up, and I think we all know how much he needed that... 
> 
> to be honest... his first confession wasn't actually planned, it just kinda... came out while I was writing...  
> I'm sorry if that part disturbed anyone. I didn't mean to upset anybody. and I DON'T play around with suicide... seriously, if you're contemplating it, PLEASE, talk to someone, your life has SOOOO much value to it that you may not be able to see, but you ARE worth it. You are talented, beautiful, loved, doing a GREAT job with the life you have right now, and YES, you WOULD have people who DO notice you're gone, they LOVE you and are there for you... Please... you're worth SO MUCH MORE than you give yourself credit for... I actually had a young coworker take his own life last month... his picture hangs in the office, by the time clock, in the break room... I wish I would have noticed... he is missed EVERY day... so PLEASE... reconsider, because I know life may be hard right now, I know you may be hearing those little voices telling you it will ease the pain, but it won't. Those are lies. Lies that I myself have heard before. Don't give into them. Do NOT listen. Because no matter what, you are worth SO much more, you have a friend/fan in me, and I believe in you. You're gonna do such amazing things in life. You DO have a purpose. Your time's NOT up yet. So please... don't give up.  
> Wow... I was not expecting to write all of that, but, it NEEDED to be said... and I mean EVERY word.
> 
> So anyway...  
> Yeah...  
> Don't forget to Follow, Subscribe, Like, Kudos, and Comment  
> ...  
> I love you guys. You make all this time writing worth it, and encourage me more than you could possibly know.  
> Loves  
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to do this for a while now actually, just now taking the time.  
> PLEASE, please please please, PLEASE!!! Comment, like, kudos...  
> tell me what you think, I thrive on comments ^_^


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